Turning Point
by Tenchi Knight
Summary: Kim has reached the point where she is sick of everything that her life is dishing out and has fled from Middleton. It is now up to a very unlikely person to bring her back. KiGo


Kim Possible: Turning Point

Disclaimer: I do not own Kim Possible, and I do not make any money from these writings.

Kim rushed through the halls, late once more due to a mission. As she darted back and forth and occasionally  
sprung over the heads of those slower students ahead of her, she cursed under her breath her bad fortune. As she  
reached her locker, she opened it and grabbed out her books then slammed it shut, not noticing there was a  
significant change in its decor. She rushed off, and barely made it to Mr. Barkin's class before the bell. As Kim  
darted to her seat and sat down, the massive teacher watched her with a critical eye.

"You're lucky, Possible." He said.

"It's no big." She responded casually.

"You won't be saying that when you land yourself in detention one of these days for your constant tardiness." He  
threatened, and she stared at him, shocked by this blatant threat.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Barkin, but I just came from Bangladesh where I helped catch an international jewel thief who  
stole priceless ancient artifacts. If I didn't have to do that, then I'd have been here sooner." She said angrily.

"I don't care where you were, Possible. It's not important to me. All that it is important is that you were tardy." He  
said haughtily.

"I made it in with a minute to spare!" She said.

"Five minutes early is on time, and on time is late. One day of detention for not knowing my attendance policy."

"THAT IS SO NOT FAIR!" She complained.

"You're right. Two days of detention."

Kim stood there, shocked, and he glared at her.

"Do you want to make it three, Miss Possible?" He warned, and her eyes narrowed dangerously. The class watched  
with baited breath as she walked down to the front and squared off against the former marine who suddenly felt  
very nervous.

"Mr. Barkin, do you know what kind of people I deal with on a daily basis? I'll tell you just a few... Doctor  
Drakken is a mad scientist who's constantly trying to take over the world. DNAmy is a geneticist who creates  
mutants for fun. Doctor Dementor is another mad scientist out for world domination. Monty Fiske, also known as  
Lord Monkeyfist, a master of the art of Tai Shin Pek Kwar, who's out to control the world using the powers of  
monkey magic. And Shego... you might remember her? She's the former heroine who can shoot green plasma out  
of her hands. Yeah. I go head to head against her all the time, so I've gotten to deal with some very tough  
customers... what makes you think that you would even make me break a sweat?"

Within moments of hearing this, his forehead slicked with perspiration, he realized the very real threat implied in  
her statement.

"Now... do you want to fuck with me…?" Kim asked bitterly. "Or are you going to leave me the hell alone?"

Mr. Barkin jerked at her use of profanity. Never before had he heard her swear, so to hear it from her was, to say  
the least, jarring. She glared daggers at him and he shook his head.

"I guess I've got no choice. Your detention is lifted, Miss Possible. Now take your seat."

"No." She said plainly.

"No?" He asked, confused.

"You piss me off and then expect me to sit there and listen to you prattle on about something I already know? I  
don't think so. Go to hell, Barkin."

She walked to her seat, passing Ron who's staring at her with wide eyes, took her bag, and walked out of the room  
followed moments later by Ron whose mind finally chose to engage.

"KP!" He shouted as he charged down the hall.

"Ron, please, can you leave me alone for now?"

"KP?"

She turned and looked at him, and he skidded to a halt as he looked at the confused expression on her face.

"I've... I've got to think some things through right now... so please... leave me alone..."

He nodded slowly, the pain evident on his face. She walked down the hall to her locker and opened it, seeing the  
screen flick to life. Wade looked out at her with a confused and concerned look on his face.

"Kim? Is everything all right?" Wade asked.

"What's the sitch, Wade?"

"You are. Ron just called. He told me you told off Barkin, cussed him out, then bailed, and told Ron to leave you  
alone. Is something going on?"

A small sensor extended from the computer and Kim sighed as she turned her eyes away for a moment as the  
sensor sent out a beam that scanned Kim's entire body. Kim looked back at Wade and shook her head.

"I just need some time to think..." Kim said and Wade nodded while reading the results that are arriving back at his  
computer. "I'll call you if and when I'm ready to get back into the business."

"Wait... what?" He asked, confused.

"I don't want to be a hero right now..." She said then reached out and touched a button on the computer, putting  
it to sleep and effectively ending the call.

ELSEWHERE...

Wade stared at the blank screen for a long moment before dialing her kimmunicator, only to find she'd turned it off  
too.

BACK AT SCHOOL...

Kim sighed heavily and looked at her locker door.

"Is this what you felt, Shego?"

She glanced at the picture, stopping as she saw it was different. Where before it had been a picture of her some  
fortunate soul had captured without being blasted with plasma, it was changed to a picture of her actually posing  
for the camera with a genuine smile—not her usual smirk—on her lips. She was clad her usual skin-tight body suit,  
but something about how she's standing there, how her outfit fit her made it impossible for Kim to tear her eyes  
away. Only when the door slammed in her face was she broken from her trance and she found herself staring at the  
incredulous face of her friend, Monique.

"Girl, what are you doing? You're lucky you haven't been expelled." The dark-skinned girl asked.

"Do you know how many times I've saved the world and this city?"

"You threatened to kill Mr. Barkin!" Monique countered.

"Do you know how many times I've saved him?" Kim asked.

"I don't think he cares, and I don't think that the principal will care either."

"If I get expelled, I don't care. I can just go somewhere else or get my GED and go from there." Kim said calmly  
and Monique stared at her, horror written across her face.

"What are you saying?!" Monique asked, her voice further showing her horror.

"I do not care, Mo. I'm sick and tired of it. I've had to put up with him for years, dealing with his barking and  
shouting all the time. It sucks! I mean I caught a damned jewel thief in Bangladesh, caught a flight and performed  
a perfect HALO parachute jump in from fifty-five thousand feet before running through the halls, feeling like I'm  
running through one of Dementor's more fiendish obstacle courses, and make it in just before the bell only to find  
that bastard has some skewed views on being early and on time."

"But Kim..."

"Everyone has their limits Monique where they won't put up with anything else, where they'll just snap, and right  
now I'm at my limit. I can't stand this anymore."

"Girl, you're talking crazy."

"You're not being part of the solution so you're part of the problem. I'll talk to you later, Mo." She turned and  
walked off without another word. Monique stared at her friend for a long moment before she opened Kim's locker  
and looked at the screen. She turned on the computer, and saw Wade sitting there, his eyes turned away as  
frantically typed. "Wade!"

"Monique? What are you doing on Kim's locker computer?"

"She's gone. She's walked out of the school. It sounds like she's turning evil or something. She said she's stopped  
caring about school, and that she'd just finish her GED if she got expelled."

"I know, I heard. She doesn't know but there's a secondary audio feed. This is getting out of control."

"Tell me about it. She is one loose cannon... I don't know who we could talk to about bringing her around... wait a  
second..." She glanced at the picture, and Wade watched, knowing whose image is at that point in Kim's locker.

"Oh no... No! That's a very bad idea!" Wade said.

"Wade, please, try to understand."

"No, Monique, it's a bad idea to involve Shego with ANYTHING to do with Kim possibly going rogue." Wade  
said.

"Tell me who else knows her as well as Shego?" Monique asked.

"Ron." Wade said.

"Then why didn't he try to talk to her?"

"He did." Wade said and then sighed. "She told him in no uncertain terms to leave her alone for a while."

"Then we can't go with him, can we, Wade? We have to go with Shego!" Monique said and the dark skinned nerd  
sighed, knowing few people know Kim quite as well as the moss-hued criminal, and knowing even fewer would be  
able to hold their own if Kim were to turn on them. "She's bull-headed, strong, and will do this for Kim. I don't  
know what it is, but I've just got this gut feeling that she will do it for her."

"I'll see what I can do to get in contact with her." Wade said.

"Thank you, Wade." Monique said.

He sighed and nodded before ending the connection and started working through the gamut of ways to contact  
Shego, wondering which will yield the best results.

ELSEWHERE, THIRTY MINUTES LATER...

Shego lay on a beach, her body clad in a skimpy bikini as she sunned herself. As she reached for her daiquiri, she  
heard her phone ring. She picked it up and pressed the talk button.

"You interrupted me baking on the beach." Shego said. "This had better be important."

"Uh... Shego...?" Wade said nervously and Shego sat up, a smile on her face.

"Nerdlinger, never expected to hear from you... are you coming over to the dark side now or is there some other  
reason for this call?" Shego asked pleasantly.

"Shego, we need some help with Kim..."

"Oh? And what kind of help do you need?"

"We think she's having a meltdown." Wade said. "Listen to this..."

He pressed a key on his keyboard and a recorded sound file played.

"Girl, what are you doing? You're lucky you haven't been expelled." Monique asked.

"Do you know how many times I've saved the world and this city?"

"You threatened to kill Mr. Barkin." Monique countered.

"Do you know how many times I've saved him?" Kim asked.

"I don't think he cares, and I don't think that the principal will care either."

"If I get expelled, I don't care. I can just go somewhere else or get my GED and go from there." Kim said calmly.

"What are you saying?!" Monique asked, horrified.

"I do not care, Mo. I'm sick and tired of it. I've had to put up with him for years, dealing with his barking and  
shouting all the time. It sucks! I mean I caught a damned jewel thief in Bangladesh, caught a flight and performed  
a perfect HALO parachute jump in from fifty-five thousand feet before running through the halls, feeling like I'm  
running through one of Dementor's more fiendish obstacle courses, and make it in just before the bell only to find  
that bastard has some skewed views on being early and on time."

"But Kim..."

"Everyone has their limits Monique where they won't put up with anything else, where they'll just snap, and right  
now I'm at my limit. I can't stand this anymore."

"Girl, you're talking crazy." Monique said.

"You're not being part of the solution so you're part of the problem. I'll talk to you later, Mo."

Shego frowned at this. "Wow. Sounds like you've got a problem there, Nerdlinger. So tell me, where do I come  
in?"

"We know she respects you... everyone does... we were hoping that you would talk some sense into her..." Wade  
said.

"And bring her back to the side of good and light? Nerdlinger, I've got to say this sounds like one of that buffoon's  
plans, not yours, because thinking I'd do anything to help out the side of good is hilarious." She said, laughing.

"Shego, this is for Kim. We're worried about her, and we don't want her to do anything rash. This isn't for the side  
of good or anything... this is purely for Kim." He said, and then his voice became softer and more scared. "Please...  
just make sure she's safe... that's all we want..."

Shego sobered up and sat there for a long moment before sighing.

"Yeah, I'll see what I can do. Do you know where she is?"

"The last time I was able to get a read from her kimmunicator's emergency GPS system, she was headed for the  
airport. That was fifteen minutes ago. I've not logged any flight plans filed with the FAA, so it's probably a  
commercial flight she's going to catch."

"Do you have any idea where she would go?"

"No. Unfortunately, she's a well-traveled globetrotter so we have no idea where she's heading." Wade said.

"What are the current locations listed?"

"Hold on a second." He said, and she heard the clatter of keys. "The flights are as follow: Rome, Beijing, Hanoi,  
London, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico City, New York City, Anchorage, Toronto, and Columbus."

"Damn... and I was just enjoying myself... do me a favor, Nerdlinger. Get me a ticket for the next flight from  
Nassau International Airport in the Bahamas to Anchorage." She said.

"What are you doing in the Bahamas?"

"What the hell do you think I was doing? I was lying supine with a nice drink next to me lazing the day away,  
baking in the sun." She snapped.

"Oh." He said.

"Now get me my damned flight."

"And why did you choose Anchorage?" He asked.

"Because, Nerdlinger, she'd want to escape. Alaska's a damned wilderness. She can vanish easily up there but still  
be close to civilization if need be." She said. "NOW GET ME MY DAMNED FLIGHT!"

"I'm on it." He said. Shego sighed before hanging up her phone and leaning back in her chair once more.

"Oh, Kimmie, the things I do for you..." She sighed and closed her eyes, images of the redheaded cheerleader  
running through her mind. After a few minutes, she opened her eyes and saw a young woman staring at her.  
"What? You've never seen green skin before?"

She shook her head slowly.

"Well take a fucking picture, it'll last longer." She said, and the girl walked off. Shego closed her eyes once more  
and relaxes, the redhead once more dominating her mind's eye.

FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER...

Shego cracked open her eyes and lifted her hand just enough to pick up her cell phone before bringing it to her ear.

"Yes?" She said.

"Shego, I've got a flight lined up for you. It leaves at Six PM local time from gate thirteen. I'll send you a text  
message with all the information you'll need for your flight." He said.

"I had better be flying first class." She said.

"You're taking a chartered Gulfstream G650." He said. "And you should be flying in the lap of luxury."

"Excellent. It'll be nice to take an international flight and to be pampered rather than stuck in a tin can with a  
couple hundred assholes who don't know it's rude to stare or being cramped inside one of Doctor D's flying  
contraptions." She said. "Who's flipping the bill for this?"

"I am." He said. "I'll be paying for your flight, accommodations, and travel arrangements once you touch down in  
Anchorage."

"Kimmie must be pretty important to you." She said idly.

"She means the world to me." He said. "I've watched her since the very beginning, and now when I look at her, I  
feel like a father watching his daughter in action and to be quite frank, at times it scares me to see what she's  
doing."

"It sounds like it. She's lucky to have someone like you looking out for her." Shego said.

"I'm not the only one looking out for her." Wade said. "She's also had a guardian angel."

"Who was that?" Shego asked.

"It's you, Shego." Wade said.

"You're kidding." Shego said.

"No, I'm not. You've always looked out for her." Wade said.

"Wade, I tried to kill her in the past." Shego said. "How do you think that I'm some sort of guardian angel for  
her?"

"You had dozens of chances to kill her, but you never took the opportunity. You could have done massive damage  
to her, but you held back. You never went all out and always restrained yourself just enough so that you didn't do  
any permanent harm." Wade said. "That's how I know you're her guardian angel. You've been training her to  
become better to face greater threats while also protecting her by being Drakken's primary weapon against her and  
by keeping him from using more dangerous weapons against her."

"You've got a point... it's some strange logic, but you've got a point." Shego said, and then sighed. "I guess I just  
never realized how much I look after my Kimmie."

Wade chuckled softly.

"What's so funny, Nerdlinger?"

"You called her 'my Kimmie.'" He said, still chuckling.

"I did?" She asked, shocked.

"Yeah, you did." He said and she suddenly feels very self-conscious.

"Oh." She said. "Now you'd better forget that or I'll make you suffer."

"Sure, sure you will..." He said, chuckling while she seethes. "Now finish your drink. You're going to need to pack  
your things and to get to the terminal with some time to spare since airport security has been ramped up lately due  
to some terrorist alerts."

"There are always terrorist alerts." She said dryly. "Good bye, Nerdlinger."

She closed her phone and sighed as she finishing her drink, stood, and left the empty glass on the table. She then  
walked off, leaving the glass for one of the resort staff to pick up as she made her way back into the hotel and up to  
her room. After five minutes, two young men pushing a cart joined her in her room and picked up her baggage for  
her. She then walked out of her room once more, leading the two young men to the lobby where she walked to the  
desk and was greeted by the manager.

"Miss Shego, I trust your stay was a pleasant one?" He asked ingratiatingly.

"Yes, it was. You've done well, Maxwell." She said.

"Thank you. Will you be returning again soon?"

"Not likely. I've got business that will keep me away for quite some time."

"If you do decide to return, please call in advance and we'll make sure to have everything ready for your arrival as  
you are one of our most valued customers." He said.

"Of course I am. Now I'd like to check out." She said, and he nodded. He typed quickly on the computer, and not  
five minutes later, he handed her a print out which she signed and handed back. He handed her a second one,  
which she folded in half, then in half again, and sighed heavily. "Please call a cab for me to go to the airport."

"Yes, Miss Shego." He said, lifting the phone from its cradle while she walked out to the front. As she stepped out  
onto the sidewalk, she glanced left and right, stopping as she saw a man standing next to a limo with 'SHEGO' on  
a sign in his grasp.

"Wade sent you?" She asked, and the man nodded before opening the door for her. She walked back into the  
building. "Cancel that cab. James, Eric, bring my bags." She walked out front once more and climbed into the  
limo. The man closed the door then opened the trunk and the two young men loaded the bags in carefully. Once the  
bags inside, he closed the lid, climbed into the driver's seat, and pulled out from the hotel.

THIRTY MINUTES LATER...

Shego sat in the limo, the ride silent as a graveyard as they navigated the streets, heading for the airport. She  
sighed heavily and looked off to the left as the divider between the driver's cabin and the main cabin lowered.

"What could it be that could drive such a beauty to such depression?" The driver asked, and Shego glanced  
forward, seeing he's watching her in the rear-view mirror.

"Keep your mind on the road." She said.

"Minding the road is my job, but minding my passengers is my passion." He said. "Will you share with me?"

"What do you want from me? You're just the limo driver, for fuck's sake." She said angrily.

"To hear such profane words tells me you're gravely concerned." He said.

"You have no damned idea how I feel."

"Are you sure?" He asked. "You're concerned about someone, you're worried they'll make a poor decision... one  
you've made yourself... and that scares you. It scares you because the decision is life-changing, and is irreversible  
once made. So now, acting on this concern, you're going to catch a flight to go and see them personally to make  
sure they do what is right."

"Just who the hell are you?" She demands, and the man smiled.

"I'm just the driver." He said and she growled angrily.

"How do you know so much about me?" She asked.

"Mister Hench would like for me to deliver you a message." He said, and she narrowed her eyes, her hands  
reflexively clenching and her claws digging into the leather upholstery. "First and foremost: please go easy on the  
leather as it is expensive to replace. Second, you should really consider upgrading your cellular phone, as it is far  
too easy to clone. Third, and most importantly, take care of Kim as she is important to more people than just you.  
She is important to all her enemies, including Mister Hench, and so for her to be in such dire straits is troubling for  
all to hear."

Shego sighed and sat back against the seat, letting her hands drop to her sides as she did. "Whatever." She said.  
"Just get me to the airport and don't get me killed. I'm gonna have a word with your boss later, so do me a favor  
and tell him not to try to skip town because I don't want to have to track him down."

"Yes, Miss Shego." He said, and closed the shield once more. She looked over at the bar, then opened it and  
removed a bottle of scotch as well as a glass. She poured the whiskey into the glass and sipped it, feeling the warm  
liquor as it made its way down her throat to sit comfortably in her stomach. She sighed heavily, and rode out the  
rest of the trip moving as little as possible. When they arrived, the driver stepped out and opened the door for her.  
She stepped out and glanced over at him.

"Make sure that my baggage gets on the plane." She said curtly.

"Yes, Miss Shego." He said, and quickly set to transferring her luggage to a baggage cart while she walked into the  
terminal and headed over to a desk where a young woman was sitting. The young woman looked up and smiled at  
her widely, something which mildly surprised Shego.

"Can I help you?" She said.

"I have a flight to catch, gate thirteen." She said and her cell phone beeped. She took the phone out and looked at  
the screen before handing it to the young woman. "This is my departure data."

"Oh! I have your ticket right here. Will you be traveling with any luggage?" She asked.

"Yes. I have a slave bringing it in now." She said.

"A slave, you say?" She asked, and then glances at the young man who is moving the large cart of luggage, and  
seeming as if he is struggling a bit.

"His boss is an arrogant ass and he's no better, so I'm putting his ass to work." She said dryly. "And I'm punishing  
him for taking the job in the first place."

"You're brutal." She said and Shego shot her a sidelong glance.

"You obviously don't know who I am." Shego said.

"Not particularly." She said, and Shego chuckled.

"I'm an international mercenary criminal usually in the employ of Doctor Drakken." She said. "Brutal is what I do.  
Of course, this time I'm not on a mission of brutality."

"No?" She asked.

"No. This time it's a mission of amity." Shego said.

"Oh, turning over a new leaf, are we?" She asked, chuckling softly.

"Hardly, it's more like saving an enemy from herself." Shego said and the young woman's laughter dies in her  
throat. "I'm afraid that she might self-destruct or worse, follow in my footsteps. And that's the last thing I need...  
more competition for jobs..."

The young woman nodded with a small smile on her lips as she hears this. "Of course it is... now, your aircraft will  
be departing gate thirteen. Boarding is currently an option, so if you would like, you can go there now and get  
some rest before the flight."

Shego nodded as the woman finished with her tickets and handed them to her. She then walked off and made her  
way to the gate. After ten minutes of walking, she reached the gate and inserted her ticket into an automated reader  
that accepted it, scanned it, and input her data into the system as having boarded the flight. She walked down the  
jet bridge, sighed heavily, and wondered how Kim is doing before stepping aboard the jet proper. A young woman  
wearing a well turned-out flight-attendant's uniform walked up to her and smiled broadly.

"Hello, Miss Go. Please, have a seat. Would you like a drink while we await permission to depart?" She said and  
Shego stared at her for a long moment. "Miss Go? Is everything all right?"

"I'm gonna need a big fucking drink... a very big fucking drink... and if you skimp on the booze, you'll regret it."  
Shego said.

"What sort of drink would you like? Would you perhaps like a cocktail, a blended drink, or something on the  
rocks?" She said.

"Let's start with a Long Island Ice Tea." Shego said and walked over to her seat. Two minutes later, the young  
woman walked over with a drink in a glass and a napkin. She set down the napkin then the drink and took a step  
back, clasping her hands before her as she watched expectantly. Shego watches her for a moment, then lifted the  
drink and takes a sip, her eyes going wide. "Holy shit, Babe, this is one good drink." The young woman's eyes lit  
up and she smiled brilliantly.

"I'm glad that you approve." The young woman said. "And my name is..."

"Your name is 'Babe.'" Shego said firmly, stunning the young woman. "I don't give a damn what your parents  
named you. I will only refer to you as Babe. Do you understand, Babe?"

"Yes, Miss Go." She said.

"And call me Shego. I haven't been called Miss Go since I was hit with the Attitudinator and I don't intend on  
being reminded of those days anytime soon, thank you very much."

"Yes, Miss Shego. Is there anything else I can get for you?"

"Hmmm... A neck massage sounds nice." She said, closing her eyes and smiling as she leaned back in her seat.  
Moments later, her eyes shot open and she leaned forward, twisting around and staring at the young woman who is  
now standing behind her seat, looking confused. "What the hell were you just doing?"

"I was giving you a neck massage..." She said, more than a bit unsurely.

"No shit." Shego said, incredulous.

"No shit, Miss Shego. Among other credentials I possess, I am a fully licensed and bonded massage therapist." She  
said calmly, and then blinked as Shego stood and looked around the cabin.

"Is there a private area on this plane with a bed?" Shego asked.

"Yes, Miss Shego, through that door there." The young woman said.

"Follow me." Shego said, walking through the door. The young woman followed her a moment later, and is  
surprised as Shego quickly stripped off her body suit, leaving her completely naked. She lay down on the bed on  
her stomach, her drink on a bedside table as she turned her head to look at the young woman who was watching  
her carefully, studying her actions very closely. "I could really use with a full body Swedish Massage if you're up  
to it, Babe."

"I will not be able to do that for you while wearing this uniform." She said.

"Then lose the uniform." Shego said plainly.

Moments after saying this, Shego was treated to the sight of the young woman removing her shoes, then  
unbuttoning her uniform and removing first the jacket and then her blouse and skirt, leaving her dressed in nylons  
supported by a lacy garter belt, a black lace bustier, and a matching black bikini panties. She stood there for a  
moment while Shego stared at the sexy negligee.

"Kinky..." Shego said, grinning. The young woman then climbed onto the bed and began her ministrations,  
drawing a low satisfied groan from the green woman's lips. "Oh, yeah... this is amazing..."

"I'm glad you approve." The young woman said softly, and then leaned down and planted a soft kiss on the back  
of Shego's neck, making Shego go rigid.

"Get off." Shego growled, her sudden anger stunning the young woman.

"What?" She asked.

"Get off the fucking bed and get dressed. NOW!" She ordered and Babe quickly leapt off before dressing. "Give  
me my clothes." Shego ordered and Babe complies. Shego dressed and then stood as well, glaring balefully at her.  
"Touch me again, I swear to God I'll fucking kill you, do you get me?"

"Yes... Miss Shego." She said, stunned.

"No, I don't think you get what I'm saying... if you touch me again, I will fucking kill you with my bare fucking  
hands." Shego said, holding up her hands that were surrounded by green plasma. "Now do you get my fucking  
point?"

"Yes! Yes I do!" She said, falling backwards and quickly backpedaling away from her, sobbing from fear.

Shego walked to the cockpit and opened the door, looking at the pilot and copilot. "Get permission to taxi out to  
the runway and take off ASAP. I don't care what it takes; I want this trip over with as few delays as possible."

"Yes ma'am." The pilot said.

Shego walked back into the cabin and looked at Babe cowering in a corner.

"Babe, come here." Shego ordered coolly. The young woman stares at her, fear in her eyes. "Now!"

She walked over slowly, her eyes carefully studying Shego for any sign of danger. "Yes... Shego...?" She asked,  
terrified.

"Mix two more Long Island Ice Teas, and make sure they're in big fucking glasses." She ordered and the young  
woman nodded before rushing off to the aircraft's bar. She retrieved the drinks, making sure to make them extra  
strong before walking back out and offering them to Shego.

"Do you know what you did wrong?" Shego asked, taking one drink while Babe stared at her. "You know what,  
drink some of that drink first, and then answer me."

The girl put the glass to her lips, and within moments, found she was looking at the bottom of the glass, her eyes  
wide with shock. She swallowed the last of the alcohol and gasped for breath while Shego smiled and chuckled  
softly. She then handed the girl her glass, taking the empty one from her. The girl emptied this glass as well and  
Shego watched her carefully.

"Sit." She said, pointing to a chair. The girl walked over and sat down and Shego sat down across from her. "How  
much do you normally drink?"

"Nothing," She said. "This is the first time..."

"Well, you're gonna have a hell of a headache when you sober up." Shego said. "But it's better to be blitzed than  
scared shitless."

Babe nodded slowly, already feeling the buzz from the alcohol.

"Now, listen very closely. Do you know what you did wrong?" Shego asked, and the girl shook her head. "You  
kissed me. You increased the intimacy between us."

"Oh..." She said.

"They probably didn't teach this in massage school, but erotic massage is a dance between the masseuse and the  
client, and the masseuse must be careful not to increase the intimacy of the massage without the client's  
permission." She said. "You did, and that made me uncomfortable and angry, and so I ended it."

The girl looked down at the floor. "Sorry..." She said.

"Don't take it personal. I just didn't want you kissing me. That's an intimate action that I'll only let my lover do. I  
don't even allow my mother to kiss me, even on the cheek. Last time she tried, she ended up on her ass and after  
that I ended up flying through a plate glass window."

"I didn't know..." The girl said softly.

"You should have asked." Shego said. "Not knowing is no excuse."

"I know..." She said.

Shego stood and walked back to the bar where the young woman had gone to mix the drinks, only to stop as she  
found she was looking at a young man wearing a bartender's uniform.

"Is there something I can get for you, Miss? Another Long Island Ice Tea, perhaps?" He offered.

"Who the hell are you?" She asked.

"Vanadour Avakian." He said. "You may call me Van. I am the barmeister on this flight"

"Armenian?" She asked and he inclined his head to her in reply. "I could tell from your name and accent. Now you  
said you were the bar master?"

"Yes." He said. "Would you like another drink?"

"Are you trying to get me drunk?" She counters.

"Obviously you are not too intoxicated to figure out my ancestry and you are keeping yourself composed quite  
well, so I inferred that you were here for a drink. Is that so?" He asked.

"Yes, it is. And I'll take another couple for myself, as well as a couple for the young lady who retrieved the first  
set." She said.

"You mean for..." He started to say her name, but Shego held up her hand.

"To me her name is Babe and nothing else. I don't care to know what it is her parents named her." She said. "And  
yes, for her."

He nodded, and quickly prepared the drinks before setting them on a tray and walking around the counter. "Lead  
the way." He said, and she walked back up to where the girl is sitting. Vanadour eyed her for a long moment, and  
then set down two drinks next to her. He set down the other two for Shego and then turns to her. "Would you like  
anything else?"

"No, thank you." She said and he bowed before turning and walking off.

SEVERAL HOURS LATER...

Shego opened her eyes and found herself covered with a blanket, much to her surprise. She sat slowly up and  
looked around the cabin, wondering what time it is. Vanadour walked into the cabin and she looked over at him.

"Oh, so you are awake." He said. "How are you feeling?"

"What the hell hit me?" Shego asked.

"That would be the Long Island Ice Tea. I mix them strong when asked, and yours were among the strongest I  
could mix without them being classified as hard liquor as opposed to a mixed drink." He said. "You passed out  
about three hours ago and I covered you up, figuring you wouldn't want to get cold while you were sleeping it  
off." He glanced at the other chair where the young woman was still unconscious and raised his eyebrow. "It seems  
she will be having quite a hangover when she wakes up."

"Yes, it does. I appreciate what you've done for both of us." She said.

"It is my pleasure." He said calmly, inclining his head. "Is there any other way I can be of assistance to you?"

"Not at the moment, no, there isn't." She said.

"Then I will take my leave." He said, then turned and walked back into the aft section of the aircraft. Shego walked  
to the front and casually knocked on the door to the cockpit. Moments later, the door opens and she sees a man  
wearing what looked like a military uniform standing there.

"Can I help you, ma'am?" He said; his voice a cool baritone.

"How far are we from our destination?" She asked.

"We have another four hours to go, ma'am." He said.

"Thank you. And if you call me 'ma'am' again I'll tear your throat out." She said, then walked over and sat down.  
He stood there with a shocked look on his face then closed the door and walked back to his seat, looking over at  
the pilot.

"Uh... she's scary..." He said.

"No shit, Sherlock." The pilot responded dryly.

"No... Seriously she's really scary..."

"Why the hell do you think I told you to open the door?" The pilot asked.

"You're an asshole." The copilot said dryly.

The pilot simply grinned as he held the yoke.

HOURS LATER...

Shego opened her eyes as she felt a soft lurch and noted her surroundings. Sometime between when she had once  
again fallen asleep and woken, she had been covered up with a blanket, much as the young woman who was still  
unconscious from the alcohol she consumed. Vanadour walked into the cabin and she looked over at him.

"We landed?" She asked and he nodded. "Who's gonna take care of her?"

"I will tend to her and ensure that she is well protected." He said, looking down at the young woman. "It is nice to  
see that you still care about her well being."

"I just don't want to see her get hurt because I got her drunk." Shego said.

"Of course," He said with a smile. She looked at him for a long moment then huffed. "In just a minute, the plane  
will come to a full rest and then you will be able to disembark. Would you like something to drink while you  
wait... a glass of water perhaps?"

"Yes, please." She said, and he nodded before walking from the cabin. He walked back in a moment later with a  
large glass with ice water in it. He handed it to her and she drinks it quietly while he moves about the cabin, then  
he walked over to her with something in his arms.

"You may wish to wear this while you are here. After all, reports are that the weather is unseasonably cold." He  
said, and she looked over at him. In his grasp, he has a large white parka with a bushy white fur lined hood. She  
grinned and graciously accepted the proffered jacket before donning it. Moments later, the copilot walked out of  
the cockpit and over to the door which he opens to reveal a waiting mobile stairway. She walked over and looked  
at the nervous copilot.

"Thank you." She said and then leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, making him blush. "And feel free to rub  
that in the pilot's face for sending you to open the door for me." She winked at him, stepped out of the jet, and into  
the Alaskan spring which to her felt more like an Antarctic winter. "Oh... the things I do for you Kimmie..." She  
sighed and walked down the steps to the tarmac where a waiting Landrover is idling with the passenger side turned  
toward the aircraft. A man stepped out of the vehicle and walked around the vehicle.

"Shego?" He asked and she nodded. He opened the door and she climbed into the vehicle while he jogged around  
and climbed back inside. "Wade called ahead and filled us in. We've got a pretty good idea where Kim's gone, but  
we're not getting too close so as to not spook her."

"Who are you?" Shego asked as he started the SUV and drove off the tarmac.

"The name's Ed Raskins. Kim saved our expedition a few years ago when we were trapped in the Alps. We've  
carried that debt ever since. So when Wade dropped us a line saying she was in trouble, we loaded up and came  
here as fast as possible. Pretty easy considering we were only a couple hours away doing some survey work in  
British Columbia." He said, grinning at her.

"So this is what Kimmie feels like on her missions..." Shego said quietly.

"Of course, Kim also had to worry about fighting you, Shego." He said.

"So you know who I am?"

"And what you've done. Yes." He said.

"Then why are you being so nice to me?" Shego asked.

"Because we're working together to help Kim, that's why." He said.

"Oh." She said.

"To be honest, if you weren't working to help her, I'd just as soon push you into a crevasse as look at you." He  
said, his voice carrying a note of deadly seriousness.

"Oh..." She said, sounding much more nervous.

"But, since you're working for her best interests, then I'll do everything I can to help you out." He said lightly and  
she glances at him from the corner of her eye, feeling more than a bit wary about the man.

THIRTY MINUTES LATER...

"This is as far as I go." He said as he stopped the Land Rover. "You're on your own from here out."

She looked at the snowy trail ahead of her, then back at the man watching her silently.

"Thanks for the lift." She said before climbing out.

"Don't mention it." He replied.

"I could say much the same." She countered dryly, shutting the door. She then turned and looked up the trail before  
sighing. "Oh, the things I do for you, Princess."

THIRTY MINUTES LATER...

Shego crosses a ridge and sees a man crouching behind a bush with a pair of binoculars. He is intently watching  
something in the distance, and she gazes past him and sees a small figure moving about in a hollow. She walked  
over behind him and stops a few feet behind. After a moment, she opens her mouth.

"Shhh..." He shushed her and her mouth closed, her lips turning down into a frown at being shushed. "You don't  
want to alert her that you're here... do you?" He asked in a hushed tone. He held up the glasses to her, and she took  
them and gazed through them, finding herself studying Kim Possible as she works at setting up a sleeping  
structure. She watched for what seemed like an eternity, the banal actions captivating to her for some reason. When  
finally she tore her eyes from Kim, she found the man watching her with an amused look.

"What?" She whispered.

"Had you stared much harder, she'd have felt you." He said mutedly.

"Mention that to anyone and I'll break you." She hissed.

"I don't think Kim would appreciate that." He replied, smiling.

"Go back wherever you came from." She said sharply.

He smiled and crept back before walking off. She turned her attention back to Kim and continued to study her.  
After an hour, she had the structure set up and had climbed inside, looking quite cozy in the enclosure. Shego eyed  
her for a few more minutes, then slowly crept back and made a wide radius around the camp, always keeping it in  
sight but remaining far enough so as not to be seen or heard. Once she'd made her way around far enough, she  
walked to the enclosure, her steps silent as she moves. At six feet from the shelter, she stopped as she hears a voice  
speaking softly.

"Where do I go...? I mean I've turned my back on everyone... On everything I knew I was for… Why have I run  
away from it all?" Kim asked herself. "Why... why did I lose my cool? Am I losing my touch? Am I losing my  
mind? Am I turning into a villain? Ugh! I can't take this damned bullshit anymore!"

Shego walked around the hut slowly and stopped before the entrance. She listened to Kim grumbling softly for a  
moment before crouching down and slipping into the cozy interior, finding Kim sitting in a corner with a book in  
her left hand and a pencil in her right, talking as she furiously writes in her journal, documenting her words as she  
speaks them.

"Then why don't you try something new?" Shego asked and was met by a terrified scream from Kim as she startles  
the young heroine. "Sorry, pumpkin, I didn't mean to spook you. It's just, you were so engrossed in writing that  
you didn't notice me coming in and so I figured I'd have to talk to get your attention."

"Shego! What do you want?" Kim asked.

"I'm here for you, Princess." Shego said.

"So you've come to take the fallen hero and make her a villain." Kim asked.

"No." Shego said and Kim blinked at the simple answer.

"No?" Kim asked.

"No." Shego reaffirmed.

"Then why?" Kim asked.

"Your friends are worried, Kimmie. They all are. As it stands, I just got a ride up here from some of the guys you  
helped out in the past after catching a flight from the Bahamas that Wade set up." Shego said. "If that doesn't say  
that 'they're worried and care about you,' then I don't know what does."

"Oh." Kim said, sounding despondent.

"So do you want to talk about it?" Shego asked.

"Why the hell should I?" Kim asked, suddenly irritable.

"Because you said you were sick of this—and I quote—'damned bullshit.'" She said dryly and Kim's irritation  
quickly fades. Kim looked down at the floor of the enclosure, then back at Shego.

"Shego... When you turned evil... How did it happen?" Kim asked.

"Well, princess, that's a bit of a personal question." Shego said.

"Oh... I'm sorry I asked." Kim said.

"No, it's all right. I guess it's only right for you to know since you and I have spent so much time together.  
Besides, I have a feeling that I'm going to be learning quite a bit more about you before this whole ordeal is over."  
Shego said. "It started years ago, with a meteor..."

THIRTY MINUTES LATER...

"And so I went rogue and became a super-villain." Shego said. "I've got to say it's fun and all, getting away with  
being a bad girl, doing things that most people wouldn't able to do and not feeling remorse... but it's not all fun  
and games. I get hurt, and I hurt people... I do things that I don't really want to do and have to associate with some  
people I don't really want to... and it's burning me up... but enough about me... what the hell possessed you to  
decide to give up the job and to go AWOL?"

"I didn't know I needed to have approved leave." Kim said, smiling.

"Not knowing is no excuse. For going AWOL, I'm sentencing you to one week of remaining in my presence  
without the possibility of parole. And if I catch you trying to sneak off, I'm gonna add in some corporal  
punishment."

"What? Are you gonna spank me?" Kim asked cheekily.

"Keep that up and I will." Shego replied. "Now, what's there to eat? I'm starving."

"You're kidding... you came all the way out here and don't have any food with you?"

"No. Kimmie, you've got to remember, you're the explorer and adventurer. I'm the primping prima donna... wait a  
second... that didn't come out right..." Shego said.

"No, I think that's about right for you." Kim said, grinning.

"I may not even wait for you to try to sneak off before punishing you if you keep this up." Shego said. "Now tell  
me what we are going to do for food because I'm starving!"

"Well, I've got some combat rations with me that would have lasted me about two weeks if I were eating it, but  
with you with me, I think they will only last about five or six days."

"You're saying I'm fat?" Shego asked, indignant.

"No! You're not! You're hot... it's just..." She trails off, blushing softly as she realizes what she had said. "I... That  
is... Well... You're another person... And I don't eat that much by myself..."

"Uh huh... so you think I'm hot, do you?" Shego asked, grinning.

"Can we talk about something else?" Kim asked.

"Like what? Do you have some other topic that's equally embarrassing? Or do you want to just talk about  
something banal and blasé?" Shego asked and Kim nods, a soft blush coloring her cheeks. "Sorry. I can't give up  
something this juicy. You really think that I'm hot? I mean seriously... coming from you that's a high  
compliment."

Shego smiled at Kim whose blush was reaching epic proportions, then reached across the space between them and  
gently cupped Kim's cheek, stunning her with the action.

"Thank you, Kimmie." Shego said softly. "So what's for dinner?"

"You've got to be kidding..." Kim said.

"Well, this is banal and blasé." Shego said. "Do you want to go back to the last topic of conversation? Because I'm  
sure that I can get a few more miles out of it before I run out of steam."

"Dinner!" Kim exclaimed. "Dinner is good."

"I'd say that if I knew what it was..." Shego said.

Kim blushed again and reaches into her bag, taking out several pouches and setting them out between the two of  
them. Shego looked down at them, and then back up at Kim.

"Hmmm... which 'mystery' to choose..." Shego mulled before reaching out and taking one. "Guess I'll take the  
Buffalo chicken with cornbread..."

"Roast beef for me..." Kim said softly, taking another of the packages. They sat in silence, each of them preparing  
their meal and beginning to eat. Then much to Kim's surprise, Shego reached over with her spoon, scooped up a  
bit of the roast beef, and ate it with a smile on her lips. "Hey! That's my food you're eating!" Kim protested.

"I know." Shego said. "That makes it all the better."

Kim stuck out her tongue, reached over, and stole some of Shego's chicken, eating it with gusto and even going so  
far as to stick out her tongue with the bite still on it.

"Oi, that's poultry, not see-food." Shego said.

"It is now." Kim said around the bite before chewing and swallowing, an impish expression on her face. "Wow...  
that was good. I think I'm gonna have some more."

"I don't think so." Shego said. Kim reached over with her spoon for a second bite, and is met with a parry from  
Shego's own spoon. "If you're gonna take my food, I'm gonna make you work for it."

"I'm gonna get it!" Kim declared, and stabbed at it once more, only to be knocked to the side, a bit of food flying  
off her spoon and hitting Shego on the cheek.

"Hey! This isn't a food fight!" Shego said and launched a bit of food at Kim, only to watch as she expertly catches  
the bite in her mouth, an impish grin on her face as she chews and swallows.

"Nice try, Shego. My brothers do much the same to me and it doesn't work."

Shego launched another bite and Kim made to catch it only to have Shego reach over with a spoonful and  
purposefully hit her cheek with it, leaving a large blotch of buffalo sauce in its wake.

"Hey!" Kim complained. "That's not fair!"

"You know me, Kimmie; I don't play by the rules." Shego said.

"Is that how it is?" Kim asked.

"Yeah, that's how it is." Shego said.

"Fine," Kim said; her face a stony mask. Moments later, she grinned as she reached out and stuck a daub of roast  
beef square on the end of Shego's nose, making the villainess' eyes cross.

"Oh, no you didn't..." Shego said, glaring at the heroine.

"And what if I did?" Kim challenged.

"Then it's on..." Shego said.

"I guess it's on then." Kim said smartly. Shego nodded, then took a bit of her food and quietly ate it, paying full  
attention to the meal before her, her actions confusing the redheaded cheerleader beyond reason. After a minute,  
Kim sighed and rolls her eyes, taking a bite of her food only to be surprised when a piece of chicken attaches itself  
to her forehead, the offending food having been catapulted by Shego's spoon. "I can't believe you did that!"

"Believe it, Kimmie." Shego said. "It's on."

Kim reached over, dug her spoon into Shego's food, and took a bite, sticking out her tongue as she pilfered the  
food.

"You think you're gonna get away with that?" Shego asked.

"I've got the intention of it." Kim said.

"Well if you do that again, then I'm gonna beat your ass." Shego said.

"Oh yeah?" Kim asked after swallowing the pilfered bite. "Prove it."

She dug her spoon into Shego's pouch once more and was surprised when Shego stabbed her spoon into her meal  
pouch and set it off to the side before taking Kim's meal pouch and doing much the same.

"Hey! I was eating that!" Kim complained.

Shego then reached over and grabbed Kim by the arm.

"What are you doing?!" Kim demanded.

"I'm beating your ass." Shego said as she dragged Kim over her lap, face down, and then pulled down Kim's  
pants, baring her panty-clad derrière to Kim's chagrin. "Now don't struggle against me or you'll earn more."

"Don't you dare..." Kim warned.

"Or you'll what?" Shego asked as she put her left hand on Kim's back, holding her steady, then lifted her right  
hand and brought it down soundly on Kim's toned rump with a sharp crack that made the teenage heroine's eyes

go wide with shock. This smack was followed in short order by four more firm strikes that threatened to draw a tear  
from Kim's eye, but she resisted. Shego then pulled up Kim's pants, released her, and was rewarded by Kim  
moving to the far side of the tent from her. "I told you I'd beat your ass, Princess."

Kim's silent as she gazed at Shego balefully.

"If you're gonna give me the silent treatment, then I'm gonna step outside for a walk." Shego said, and then turned  
to exit, only to jump as Kim leaned forward and swatted her sharply on her ass. Shego turned her head around and  
gazed at Kim with a raised eyebrow. "Well, well, is that how it is, Princess?"

Naught but an extended tongue answered her.

"Then let the games begin..." Shego said with a broad grin and launched herself at Kim who squeals and dodges  
away from her, providing a prime target for Shego who literally leaps at the opportunity and delivers a smart  
smack before retreating from Kim who wheels on her.

HOURS LATER...

Kim and Shego sit side by side, quietly sharpening sticks they had gathered for use in traps to catch meat to  
supplement their dwindling food stores. Every so often, Shego glanced over at Kim, wondering what the redhead  
was thinking. After what felt like an eternity of silence, Kim finally spoke.

"Did you ever think we would be here, Shego?" Kim asked.

"No..." Shego said. "I never imagined we would be sitting in a shelter in the Alaskan wilderness while sharpening  
sticks to make traps for food." She glanced over at Kim, and then smiled at the redhead who's shooting a sidelong  
look at her.

"I mean..." Kim started but Shego cuts her off.

"I know what you mean. And no, Kimmie, I didn't... to be honest, though this whole thing has been one bitch of a

headache... I'm kinda glad that it happened like this." Shego said. "I mean... I wouldn't have had the chance just  
to be with you, to talk peacefully, one-on-one, without the worries or cares of the world to deal with. I never thought  
I'd have the chance to really get to know you... and I'm glad that I did get this opportunity to come up here and sit  
with you in this tent above the freaking Arctic Circle."

"Thanks, Shego. That really means a lot." Kim said, smiling at the former heroine.

"Careful, Kimmie, people might think you're going soft on me." Shego warned playfully.

"Then what do you think they'd do if they saw this?" Kim asked softly, then leans over and kisses Shego tenderly  
on the corner of the mouth. She leaned back and gazed into Shego's eyes for a long moment before they again  
move together, lips mashing together in an almost frenzied embrace while their hands drop their respective projects  
and embrace one another, holding the other close, almost as if they were trying to make two bodies into one. As  
they broke from the oral embrace, they stared into each other's eyes, and then Shego reached up and brushed  
Kim's bangs out of her eyes before stopping and pressing the back of her hand to Kim's forehead.

"Kimmie! You're burning up!"

"What? I feel fine!" Kim said.

"No, Kimmie, you're not fine. You're sweating; your forehead is roasting..." She leaned forward and kissed her  
gently on each cheek, then the forehead. "And you are overheating. Kim, you've got a fever."

"But..." Kim protested.

"Kim, we're going back to civilization where I can take better care of you." Shego said. "And you're not going to  
fight me or I'm gonna hog tie you and carry you over my shoulder."

"All right..." Kim said. Shego gathered together their gear before stuffing it into her bag and slinging it across her  
shoulders. She then picked Kim up gingerly and stepped out of the enclosure. She looked left and right, and then  
glanced up at the stars above before walking off.

TWO HOURS LATER...

Shego slowly made her way into a small town she had come across and headed up the main street, her eyes darting  
left and right as she makes her way past silent shops. As she made her way around a bend in the road, she spied  
what she had been searching for and made her way to the small inn. She walked in the front door and set Kim  
down in a chair before walking to the desk where a young man is standing, reading from a black notebook. As she  
reached the desk and opened her mouth to speak, he turned to a computer at right, making her mouth snap shut  
with annoyance.

"Two adults?" He asked, not looking at her. "Is one bed all right for you ladies? Because it's all I've got available  
for the night."

She blinked and he looked over at her.

"How much?" Shego asked. "We really don't have much money..."

He glanced at Kim, then back at Shego.

"Will you cause any trouble?" He asked.

"We just need somewhere to stay." Shego said. "We were out in a tent, but she's not feeling so hot and I need to  
get her indoors so she doesn't get any worse."

"I've got a bungalow for thirty-five per night." He said. "It's all I have."

She glanced behind him and spied a room list with the cheapest room being fifty-five dollars per night and the  
cheapest bungalow being seventy-five dollars per night. She then looked back at him and he chuckled softly.

"Being the night clerk, I have some leeway with pricing." He said. "So does thirty-five per night sound good to  
you?"

She nodded her head and he clicked a few times before turning to her.

"Can I see your ID?" He asked and she balked, not having any sort of legal identification to her name. "Does she  
have an ID?"

Shego glanced over at Kim who's still seated, looking a bit delirious. He followed her line of sight, then stood and  
walked around the counter. As he approached Kim, Shego stepped away from the counter and dropped her pack,  
ready at a moment's notice to take him down if need be.

"May I?" He asked and she gazes at him blankly. He slowly reached out with the back of his hand and touched it  
to her cheek before gasping softly. He stepped away from her, then walked back over to the desk and reached  
under the counter with his left hand while at the same time reaching for the phone with his right.

"Careful..." Shego warned.

He pulled out his left hand and set down a set of keys while putting the phone on his shoulder and leaning against  
it to hold it in place. He then pulled out a red notebook and opened it, flipping through it for a second before  
stopping and reading a number. He dialed the number and then listened for a second.

"Yes, this is James down at the Lone Pine Inn. I need an emergency house call to bungalow four. Yes, thank you."  
He said before hanging up. He then grabbed his keys and glanced at Shego. "Gather her up as well as any sort of  
medication she takes and come with me."

He walked to the door and stops, glancing back at Shego who already has her bag on once more and is deftly  
lifting Kim. He opened the door and she walked out. He stepped out after and locked the door before walking  
around the office and to a nearby building. He walked to one door and inserted his key into the lock, turning it and  
pushing the door open. He stepped inside and Shego followed him in, glancing around at the palatial cottage.

"Set her down on the bed and strip her down to the bare essentials." He said while stepping into the bathroom.

"What?" Shego asked, shocked, and he stuck his head out of the bathroom to look at the two of them.

"Trust me." He said. "She needs you to cooperate with me."

He ducked back into the bathroom and Shego listened as he started drawing a bath before stripping Kim down to a

black tank top and matching panties and looking down at the young redhead whose skin is flushed red and is  
breathing in short labored pants. After a minute, he walked out of the room with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows  
and walked over to Kim's side.

"Come on, Hon..." he said as he slid his arms under her, one cradling her back while the other slipped under her  
knees. "Let's get you into the tub..."

He walked back into the bathroom and set her down in the water and she gasped as the shock of the cool water  
strikes her.

"Just how cold is that water?" Shego demanded.

"About as cold as an old bath," He said calmly. "It's enough to prevent her from boiling over but isn't an ice-  
bath." He dipped a hand-towel into the water then rings it out before placing it on her forehead. "I need you to tend  
to her. Wash down the parts of her that are out of the water with fresh water, making sure to keep her cool. Pay  
attention to her face and neck especially, and make sure that head towel stays cool as well."

"Who are you to give me orders?" Shego asked.

"In my past life I was a licensed emergency room RN and I'm one of only four trained EMTs in town." He said.

"Oh." She said, taken aback.

"I've called the doctor and he should be here..." He stopped as he heard a knock at the front door. "Right now..."  
He walked to the door and opened it, revealing a middle-aged man in a black trench coat and fedora with a large  
black medical bag in his right hand. "Come with me, Doc."

The doctor nodded silently and followed James into the bathroom where Shego is concernedly caring for Kim.  
Shego glanced up at the man, and then gave a double take. She gasped deeply, stood up and took a reflexive step  
back from the man, shock and fear evident on her face.

"Hello, Sheila." He said, his voice as cold as a winter gale. "It's been quite a while since we last spoke."

"Please... Darkside... not now..." Shego said. "Kimmie's burning up."

He knelt next to the tub and set down his bag before touching the back of his hand to her forehead. He then opened  
his bag and reached in; he uncorked a small vial and put to her lips.

"Drink," He ordered as he lifted the vial. "It will help you."

She drank down the sweet liquid, swallowing it obediently. As the last of the fluid escaped the vial, he took it from  
her lips and corked it once more before placing it back into his bag.

"It will take one hour to take effect. Then you will recover." He said, then stood and looked at Shego. "Sheila...  
Can I speak to you…? Alone?"

"Darkside... I..." She said, glancing back at Kim.

"Go..." Kim said softly.

"Kimmie..." Shego said softly.

"I know you'll be back... And I won't go anywhere..." She said, smiling weakly. Shego looked down at her for a  
long moment, and then sighed.

"I'll be right back, Princess." She said, caressing Kim's cheek gently. She turned to Darkside and nodded. He  
walked out of the bathroom and she followed him out onto the room's balcony that is overlooking a nearby half-  
frozen river.

"It's been a long time, Sheila." Darkside said. "But I never forgot what we shared."

"Darkside, that was five years ago. I'm not the same person I was then." She said. "I've changed."

"So I can tell." He said. "She is quite fetching, isn't she?"

"What? Who?"

"Why, your lover of course." He said.

"I... It's not like that..." She stuttered.

"The lady doth protest too much, methinks." He said dryly. "Sheila: Don't lie to me, and don't lie to yourself. I can  
see that you care deeply for her. It's evident in your eyes."

"Darkside..."

"Sheila, please call me by my name." Darkside said.

"Silas, it's not how it seems."

"Then tell me, Sheila, how it is?" Silas asked. "How is it that you feel for this young woman?"

"I don't know... She's special to me..." Shego said. "I mean, I came all the way up to this freezing hell to find her.  
She just up and left out of Middleton on a whim and came up here, dodging out of her routine and doing all it  
seemed she could to stay under the radar."

"And yet somehow you managed to follow her." Silas said.

"That's because I know Kimmie so well." Shego said. "I knew if she wanted to disappear, that she would travel by  
the standard domestic routes since she rarely does that, and that she would go where she could be in the wilderness  
but still close to civilization."

"And how did you come to find out she had gone missing?" He asked.

"Her little Information Technology nerd called me up and asked for my help." Shego said. "I was baking on a  
beach in the Bahamas when he called and I hopped a flight here."

"You flew from the Bahamas to Alaska just because she tried to disappear." He asked, lifting his eyebrow.

"She was having a meltdown and nobody else was qualified to go to her." Shego said.

"Nobody else was qualified?" He asked.

"She and I know one another better than most people. Besides, I can take her in a head-to-head fight and I've got  
my plasma if I need an edge at survival out here in the wilderness." Shego said.

"Then it was simply a matter of you being a best one for the job, eh? And it has nothing to do with your feelings  
for the girl?" He asked and she growled at his insinuation. "Do not deny it. I saw your eyes when you were  
standing with her. You care for her, deeply, and to be honest, that is the best thing I could hope for."

"What?" She asked.

"When we went our own ways, I could see that it hurt you, and in turn caused you to retreat into yourself. Seeing  
you with her, now, I see that you are starting to reemerge and it is a beautiful thing, like seeing a butterfly escaping  
her cocoon." He said.

"Shut up! Shut up!" She shouted, wanting to deny the accusations but at the same time knowing in her heart of  
hearts that they are the truth, that she had hidden from the world and that Kim had drawn her out.

"You know I'm right, Sheila. Admit it." He said. "Admit the truth: that she is probably the best thing to happen to  
you in a long time."

She glared daggers at him and he stood there, gazing at her impassively. After an intense minute, she deflated and  
sighed heavily.

"You're right... Kimmie's the best thing to happen to me in God only knows how long and I can't imagine what it  
would be like to try to live without her. I need her like I need air..." She said softly. "She is my 'everything.'"

"And it is only when you come to the brink of losing everything, that you come to realize what value those things  
hold to you." Silas said. "This is a lesson often hard learned. You are fortunate, Sheila. Now go, and see to your  
beloved. I'm sure that she wants to talk to you. Good bye, Sheila."

"Good bye, Silas. Thank you for helping her." She walked up to him and gently kissed him on the cheek before  
stepping back and walking back into the room. She stopped and sighed before walking into the bathroom where  
Kim is still soaking in the water, her eyes closed, her head lolled off to the side. Shego stared at Kim in horror for a  
moment before rushing over to her and kneeling down. "Kimmie! Are you all right?"

Kim opened her eyes and nodded. "Yeah, I'm just resting my eyes."

"Oh... good... I was worried..." Shego said and Kim smiled gently at her.

"Thanks..." She said, and then closed her eyes once more. Shego looked down at her and felt a soft smile cross her  
lips as she reached out and gently stroked the young woman's forehead.

Moments later, she began to sing a soft Ukrainian lullaby. "The Dream passes by the window, And Sleep by the  
fence. The Dream asked Sleep: 'Where should we rest tonight?' 'Where the house is warm, where the child is  
small, there we will go, and rock the child to sleep... There we will sleep, and will rock the child: Sleep, sleep, my  
dear, sleep, sleep, my dove."

Kim, lulled by the soft singing, soon slipped into a deep and restful slumber and did not stir when Shego lifted her  
out of the water and carried her out into the bedroom where she laid her down on a large towel and stripped off her  
wet clothing before drying her and covering her with the top sheet and comforter. She then pulled back the  
comforter alone and stripped down before climbing in atop the top sheet, keeping it a layer between the two of  
them as she covered up and closed her eyes, falling asleep in record time.

THE NEXT MORNING...

Shego woke slowly to the sensation of a warm, naked body pressing itself against her own bare form and idly  
wondered what happened to the sheet that was supposed to be between the two of them but dismissed this idle  
mental chatter as she feels Kim snuggle closer to her. She looked down at the sleeping redhead and smiled  
tenderly. She then looked at the clock and blinked as she sees that, while it is just seven in the morning, it feels  
later than that. She slipped out from under the covers and moves across the room, the cool air invigorating her as  
she walked into the bathroom.

IN THE OFFICE...

James stood at the computer, typing on the keyboard as the door to the back office opened and a lovely steel-eyed  
middle-aged woman walked in wearing a grey business suit with stunning red lipstick on her lips. She walked up  
to the counter next to James and he slid a Styrofoam cup over so it is resting before her.

"Two cream three sugars, just how you like it." He said.

"Thank you, James." She said. "So how are we looking?"

"Good." He said. "We have five check-outs and two reservations incoming."

"Ok." She said as she opened the book and glanced within. She read over the list, and then stopped as she sees a  
curious entry. "J. Godwin in bungalow four..." She turned and flipped through an index file next to the computer  
before pulling out a paper and looking at it. "James Godwin checked into bungalow four at thirty-five dollars a  
night at... ten o'clock last night. Care to explain?"

He looked at the screen for a long moment before sighing.

"The tenants were in a bad way. One woman didn't have ID with her, or didn't want to give it up for whatever  
reason, and the other looked like she was about to collapse. I had to call Doc to come take care of her because she  
was feverish and delirious." He said.

"I want to talk to them." The woman said.

"I won't wake them up." He said. "I'm sure that they'll come in here."

She walked over to the phone and pressed a few buttons on the control panel before looking at James. "Don't go  
anywhere before they come in."

IN BUNGALOW FOUR...

Kim opened her eyes slowly as she heard a ringing noise and looked at the phone that has a flashing light on it. She  
lifted the phone and put it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Hello," An automated voice said. "You have a message waiting for you at the front desk."

The line went dead and she looked at the phone before hanging it up and turning to look at the bathroom. She  
sighed and walked to the door, knocking on the wooden partition.

"Kimmie, is that you?" Shego called from within.

"We've got a message at the front desk." Kim said.

"Who's it from?" Shego asked, turning off the water.

"Dunno..." Kim said, and was startled as the door opened, revealing Shego with a towel wrapped around her body  
and another wrapped around her hair. Kim stared for a long moment, idly noting how little that the towel really  
covered, reaching only from her breasts to the tops of her thighs, leaving quite a bit of flesh bared.

"You keep raking your eyes over me like that and you're gonna leave marks, Kimmie." Shego said. "It's your turn  
for the shower."

"Oh... yeah... thanks..." Kim said, coming to her senses. She walked into the bathroom and closed the door. Shego  
chuckled softly before taking off the towel and drying herself off some more. She walked to her bags which are on  
the bed and opens one, looking up as the door opens. "Hey Shego," Kim started, and then stopped as she saw  
Shego leaning down, her breasts hanging free.

"What's up?" Shego asked, standing up and making Kim's jaw drop open at the sight. "Oh, why thank you for the  
compliment, Kimmie. Now what's up?"

"You used all the shampoo..." Kim said, not tearing her eyes from the nude form before her.

"That I did." Shego said. "Here, use mine. I didn't want to ask you to grab it for me and the stuff they've got here's  
only good in a pinch."

She took out a bottle and walked over, handing the bottle to Kim who took it before stepping back and closing the  
door once more. Shego glanced down and chuckles softly.

"Well, I've not had a full-body blush like that in a while..." Shego said and then walked back to her bag and took  
out a black tee-shirt which she pulls on before drawing out a pair of panties and stepping into them. She then  
pulled on a pair of snug jeans, and glanced at her reflection. "Heh... kinda nippy in here..." She said and chuckles.

FIVE MINUTES LATER...

The shower shut off and Shego closed the small brochure she had been reading. She turned to the door, and  
watched as it opens and Kim walked out dressed as Shego had been before. She gives a low whistle and makes  
Kim flush a light pink. She then walked to her bed where her bag is and finds that Shego has already picked out an  
outfit for her to wear: Green cargo pants, pink panties, and a pink crop-top.

"Picking out my outfits already?" Kim asked.

"Well, of course. After all, you've got to look good if you're gonna be associated with me." Shego said. "Besides,  
it looked cute on you."

"Thanks, Shego." Kim said, smiling prettily before putting on the outfit. They then grabbed their parkas and pulled  
them on before walking the hundred and fifty yards to the main office where James and the woman were waiting  
for them. As they entered, they first see James sitting behind the desk.

"Well, well, it looked like you're feeling better today." James said. "I'm glad to see that Doc was able to fix you  
up."

"Thanks..." Kim said, blushing lightly.

"So what's the message? Nobody should know we're here." Shego said.

"The message is I want to know why I have two young women staying in one of my bungalows for so cheap under  
my employee's name." The woman said as she stepped into their line of sight with her coffee in hand and a stern  
frown on her lips.

"And you are?" Shego asked.

"I'm Jade Newton and this is my hotel." She said simply.

"Ah, well, here's the thing. I don't have ID and I couldn't find hers before we needed to get her medical attention  
so I figure that's why he put the room under his name." Shego said.

"You don't have ID... no driver's license, identification card, military ID, tribal ID card, passport, nothing?" Jade  
asked, incredulous.

"Nope, I've never had an ID card because I've never needed one." Shego said. "After all, I am—"

"Wait!" Kim said and they turn to her, making her blush self-consciously. "If you want ID, I can get it to you... but  
I'd really rather not get my name on the books because I'm trying to hide from my past... there are a lot of bad  
people running around who would want to hurt me for who I am and what I've done in the past."

"So one has no ID, and the other is hiding her identity... what is keeping me from turning you out on your ear right  
now?" Jade asked.

"The fact that it is my room and is listed as having two occupants is one thing..." James said. "Do you remember  
when you said I could stay here if there was a free room and I needed it? Well, it was free and I needed it."

"You're treading on thin ice, James." Jade said frostily.

"If you don't believe me that they are good people in need of help, ask Doc. He knows her." James said, pointing  
at Shego. "He named her by name, calling her Sheila, as she did him, calling him Darkside, and they seemed very  
well acquainted."

"That is a very powerful invocation." Jade said. "Knowing Doc personally is something which carries quite a bit of  
weight in these parts."

"He and I go way back." Shego said dryly. "But the past is the past."

"That it is. James, you're responsible for anything that happens while they are staying here. If they trash the room,  
it's up to you to get it back up to snuff. Understood?" She asked and he nodded. Just then, Kim's stomach growled  
and they look at her, causing her to blush once more.

"Wow... That was some growl." Shego said, chuckling.

"Sorry... I haven't had anything to eat in about sixteen hours and I'm kinda hungry..." Kim said.

"Well, we do have a complimentary continental breakfast." James said. "Would you like to stay while I bring it  
out?"

"Is it all ready to go?" Jade asked.

"Of course," He said. "I've got it all in back. Didn't you notice it?"

"Not really..." She said and he walked in back, walking out a minute later with a cart laden with two portable  
steam tables as well as two crock pots which he put down on the counter. He walked in back and brought out more  
items, and when he finally finished they are left eyeing a veritable banquet which drew a second growl from  
another source.

"I've got a fast metabolism and I've been rather stressed lately..." She said softly.

"Don't worry about it." James said. "The only reason you're not hearing a growl from me is that I had a breakfast  
before I brought it out."

"Sampling again, I see?" Jade asked, looking at the young man.

"Well, I wanted to make sure that everything was up to par." He said smoothly.

"Uh huh," She said. "It's fine, just so long as you don't eat all the sausage links."

"No worries there." He said. "I'm not a big fan of them. I much prefer the biscuits and gravy."

"So I've noticed. You're not always careful to wash your dishes after you've had a meal." She said dryly. "Though  
I do appreciate the extra work you put in..."

"You mean the fact that I show up four hours early for my shift and leave up to two hours late, all off the clock?"  
He asked and she nodded. "Well, it's sorta like this... I don't have anything better to do with my time and the  
things I do here are payment enough that I don't need to have any real monetary reimbursement for my time."

"You mean use our internet, watch our movies, and occasionally have a fling with the swing shift clerk?" She  
asked and he stared at her, shocked.

"Yeah, about a week ago, I came and I went into the back room and it smelled like someone had just had sex back  
there." She said.

"I..." James started but Jade held up her hand.

"I understand where you're coming from, James. She's quite a catch indeed and you're right in your prime so it's  
no wonder you're attracted to her." She said. "I've just got to say one thing: you hurt my daughter and they'll  
never find the body."

Kim and Shego traded surprised glances at this and Jade smiled as she looked over at the two of them who have  
turned back to watch the unfolding drama.

"Yeah, I know he's been having sex with my daughter for about two months now." She said. "You see, she was  
starting to crawl up the walls from stress and frustration from work and then one day she came home and she was  
all smiled and happiness and I knew in that moment that she had found herself something more valuable than gold:  
a good lover. Five weeks later, I started to put together a schedule of just when she was coming home... satisfied...  
and noted that it coincided for the most part with the days he had worked. There were a few days that were odd,  
but then I remembered he had later mentioned that you had come in for some reason or other and so that solved  
that quandary. It was cinched last week when I came by just after the two of them had enjoyed some alone-time."

"You're a lot more restrained than my mother was..." Shego said. "She'd be on the war-path."

"James has worked for me for just over a year now and never once has he been late to work. He's always shown up  
early and left late. I've never had a single complaint from any of the tenants who stayed here. He's always gone  
above and beyond what people ask or expect of him and has always worked to improve the status of things around  
him. To be honest, I'm ecstatic that my daughter has found someone as good as him. Now I'm just wondering  
when he will get his act together and ask permission to formally court her."

"Ask permission to court?" Shego asked. "I didn't know anybody did that kind of thing anymore."

"Interestingly enough, he does." Jade said. "Or at least he said that about two weeks before he started taking care  
of my daughter's carnal desires."

"Jade... the first time anything happened... we hadn't planned on it... it just sorta happened... I mean I had been  
back in the back room, working on my computer and she had come back to ask me about something. I asked her  
opinion of a movie I had been making and she watched it over my shoulder. I turned to look at her, and I was  
inches from her face... then she looked at me and we were millimeters apart... I don't know who moved first—me  
or her—but the next thing I knew, our lips were pressed together." He said.

"Uh huh... why don't I believe that?"

"Because it sounds like something out of a Harlequin novel... but that is how it happened. After we broke the kiss,  
we just stood there as if we were in a trance until the phone rang. She walked out front and took care of it, then  
walked back into the back room where I was still sitting and to my surprise commented that my movie wasn't half  
bad but needed a bit of revising. She then walked back out front once more as if nothing had happened." He said.

"Ok..." She said. "So where does it get to the point where you two are making love in the back room?"

"That was two weeks later... I was sitting in the back room, typing away on a script when she walked into the back,  
pulled me from the table, and turned me to face her before sitting down on my lap and leaning back, a move which  
automatically prompted me to put my arms around her back to keep her from falling. 'Thanks to you,' she had  
said, 'I have a problem I never had before. You've lit a fire in me and no matter what I try… I can't put it out. So  
now you're gonna help try to put it out.'"

"You're kidding." Jade said; her voice deadpan.

"I'm not. Those are her exact words. Next thing I knew, she was hungrily attacking my lips and I was at a loss as  
to what to do but soon fell back on what I had learned from my readings and writings as well as an innate tendency  
towards pleasing others and did all I could to help her." He said.

"That was a Thursday..." Jade said and he nods. "You did help her. That was exactly what she needed."

"Jade, I'm sorry that I never asked permission to court your daughter, but things went from one kiss to two weeks  
of nothing to suddenly making love to your daughter, and I was afraid of repercussions against her." He said.

"You honestly want me to believe you were afraid I'd go after her for this?"

"Have my eyes ever lied to you?" He asked.

She walked over to him and put her hand on his cheek, holding his head still as she leaned forward, pursing her  
ruby red lips in consternation and gazing into his eyes. After a minute, she sighed and averted her gaze.

"I'm sorry that I ever led you to believe that, James. You have permission to court my daughter as well as to attend  
to her... appetites... as often as you two agree is necessary." She said.

"Jade... I must ask something of you... may I have your permission to wed your daughter?" James asked and her  
jaw drops open.

"Woah... you go from apologizing for not asking permission to court her to asking permission to marry her?" She  
asked.

"I have been courting your daughter for this long without permission, but that does not mean that she and I have  
not fallen in love with one another. We have, we have been discussing marriage, and I have told her that I will not  
marry her without your permission. She has always held that for me to ask your permission, that I would first have  
to ask your permission to court her or to admit that I had already been in the process lest you grow suspicious of  
the sudden desire to marry." He said.

"So now you know I know, you're asking my permission to marry her?"

"Yes." He said seriously, looking Jade squarely in the eye.

She stood there for a long moment. She then looked at Kim and Shego who are sitting at a table, eating their meals  
quietly and watching intently (and unashamedly).

"What do you two think?" Jade asked and they stop mid-chew before looking at each other and then back at her.  
They then finish chewing and swallow their food with a drink. "How do you two think I should handle this?"

"You're asking us?" Shego asked.

"Don't you think that's a bit odd?" Kim adds.

"After all... we're not exactly your run-of-the-mill couple..." Shego said.

"Just because you're lesbians doesn't mean you're immune to love."

"It's not just that..." Kim said. "We're..."

She trailed off and looked at Shego who shook her head.

"We're also on the run from our pasts." Kim said.

"Then create a new future. And while you're at it, provide me advice. Should I let him marry my daughter or  
should I not?" Jade asked.

"You already know what you will do." Shego said.

"And how do you know that?" Jade asked.

"If you didn't know, then you wouldn't ask us. You've already made up your mind and you're using our answers  
as justification for your own decision." Shego said. "It's plainly evident to me you are in favor of your daughter  
marrying him so just come out and say it."

"And you?" Jade asked, looking at Kim. "What do you say?"

"I say if he makes her happy and can take care of her, that there should be no problem with them being involved."  
Kim said.

Jade nodded, then took a drink of her coffee and sighed heavily. She walked to the phone and dialed a number  
quickly. She listened to it ring twice, and then heard a click.

"It's Jade. I need you to come down to the hotel." She said. "Yes, it's important; otherwise I wouldn't have called  
you." She hung up the phone and looked at James who is watching her.

"It'll take Amy about five minutes to get her tail out of bed and another five minutes for her to get down here so it  
should be about ten minutes in total." James said.

"And Amy is?" Kim asked and Shego shrugs.

"Amy is my daughter." Jade said.

"Oh." Kim said.

"I want to have her here before I pass my judgment." Jade said.

"Wow, don't make it sound like someone is gonna die or anything." Shego said dryly.

"I wouldn't give her any ideas." James said dryly.

"She wouldn't... would she?" Kim asked, looking at the woman.

"I've got a two-thousand acre parcel of land that covers a dozen types of terrain..." She said. "And I've got a  
backhoe with a full tank of gas."

"Oh." Kim said, taken aback.

"Of course, I doubt that I'll need to dig a grave anytime soon if James does what I expect of him." Jade said,  
looking at the clerk who's gazing at her neutrally.

TEN MINUTES LATER...

A young woman walked in the front door of the hotel and glances at Kim and Shego who are watching her before  
walking over to the counter and leaning against it, gazing into the back room as Jade walked out.

"What's up?" She asked.

"Amy, have a seat." Jade said, curtly motioning to a nearby table that had three chairs arrayed around it. She  
walked over and sits down, watching as James then walked out and sits down as well. Jade then walked over, sat  
down at the table, and looked at her daughter.

"Uh... mom... what's going on?"

"It's been two months since it began and only now am I finding out from the horse's mouth." Jade said. "I don't  
know if I should be impressed or insulted at this, Amy."

"Did I miss something?" Amy asked, looking at James.

James didn't say a word but instead reached over and took her hand in his. She stared at the point where their  
bodies have come in contact, and then slowly looked up at him. He nodded once and she paled.

"Shit." Amy said simply, the one word summing up her feelings succinctly.

"Indeed." Jade said. "And don't even try 'mom, I can explain' or anything else of the sort. I don't want to hear it. I  
already know enough to pass my judgment. James?"

James releases Amy's hand and stands, shoving his hands into his pockets as he walked toward the door. Amy  
pushes back her seat as well and turns to give chase.

"Amy: freeze." Jade ordered and she stopped in her tracks. James stopped as well and then turned around, taking  
two steps toward Amy and kneeling down before her, looking up at her with a small object pinched between his  
thumb and forefinger.

"Amelia Courtney Newton, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" He asked. Amy stared at him for a  
long moment before looking at her mother who is watching with barely restrained enthusiasm. She then glanced  
over at Shego and Kim who are watching with baited breath. Finally, she looked at James whose expression is one  
of hope and adoration.

"Yes." She said; her voice barely a whisper. With this, he stood and slipped the ring onto her finger and before  
sweeping her up in a passionate embrace while Jade smiled broadly, tears streaming down her cheeks. Kim and  
Shego clap and cheer for the new couple, the joy of the moment infectious.

HOURS LATER...

Kim and Shego walk into the office and over to the counter where Jade is resting, idly taking drinks of her coffee.

"Well, hello there, you two." Jade said, smiling at the couple. "What can I help you with?"

"We need somewhere we can go to get some supplies." Shego said.

"What sort?" Jade asked.

"We'll need about a month's worth of survival gear." Kim said. "Where would you suggest?"

"The Army/Navy Surplus down the road will be your best bet." Jade said, pointing in a generally northward  
direction.

"Thanks." Shego said.

"Not a problem." Jade said.

They walked out of the office and six blocks up the road and eventually come to a shop that has camouflage  
netting in the windows.

"You know, I think this is the place..." Shego said, pointing at the shop. Kim smiled and giggled at the dry humor  
before following Shego into the store, still smiling. They walked through the shop, casually eyeing the various  
stores strewn about: F-14 fighter pilot helmets, deactivated grenades, gas masks, ammunition bandoliers and more  
litter the various displays. Shego walked over to the counter where a young man sits reading a magazine.

"What can I do for you?" He asked, not looking up.

'It seems this is a common occurrence...' Shego thought to herself before speaking.

"I'm in need of a reliable high-power hunting rifle." She said. "Maybe something in a three-oh-eight caliber..."

"Well, how about this... I've got a Remington 700 bull-barrel with a matte finish and an arctic camouflage pattern

thumbhole composite stock." He said, still not looking up from the magazine. "She's good up to a thousand yards  
though I doubt you'll be shooting at that range. She's also equipped with a Leupold four-point-five to fourteen by  
forty long range scope with a mil-dot reticule."

"Sounds like I'm in line to drop a hefty chunk of change if I pick that up." Shego said. "Either that or I'm gonna  
pick up a big freaking headache when some prick from the ATF shows up at my door asking about the weapon."

"I assure you it is clean. I'm just looking to move it." He said.

"Why?" She asked.

"It was my father's rifle and I can't bring myself to use it." He said, sighing heavily, and put down his magazine.  
"He was killed last winter in a hunting accident and ever since then I've been trying to move this rifle but nobody  
wants to touch it."

"Perhaps it's because you're too eager to move it. Why?" She asked. "Why are you trying so hard to sell the rifle?"

"It's the rifle he wanted me to carry when I was supposed to be out there with him but I didn't go with him... he  
went out on his own and was killed by a freak moose attack..."

"So ever since then you've had the guilt of your father's death hanging over your head like a pall because you  
didn't go out hunting with him."

"Yes."

"Why didn't you go?" She asked.

"The signs read wrong." He said. "Dad never believed in divination but I always did... so when I saw misfortune  
was to come to pass on the trip... I told him not to go and said I wouldn't go... but he went anyway..."

"And he was killed." She said.

"Yes." He said.

"And if you had gone?" She asked.

"I would have died as well." He said.

"How much is it?"

"Kelly Blue Book has it at thirteen at this condition were it stock. With all the bells and whistles it will run about  
twenty-eight. Asking price is eighteen out the door." He said.

"Sold," She said. "Where's the nearest Bank of America?"

"Two blocks north." He said, pointing up the road.

"Thanks." She said. "I'll be back in a bit with more stuff for the sale."

"All right," He said and she walked out of the shop. Moments after, Kim walked over to the counter. "Can I help  
you?"

"Just hold onto this..." She said, putting a pack on the table. He looked in the pack and lifted his eyebrow before  
looking at her.

"That's quite a few MREs." He said.

"One hundred and twenty..." She said as she walked over to a display of arctic camouflage gear.

TEN MINUTES LATER...

Shego walked into the shop and smiled as she saw Kim leaning casually against the counter while the young man  
tallied up the purchase. As he finished, he whistled softly.

"Nine hundred and fifty-eight dollars," He said and Shego peeled off one thousand dollars in hundred-dollar-bills  
from the wad she had just procured before putting the money on the counter. He looked at it and then at Shego. He  
then lifted the bills and one-by-one checked each against the light for the tell-tale security features before finishing  
the transaction. As he handed her the change, Kim took the gear which she had loaded into two packs and slung  
one pack across her shoulders.

"Ready, Shego?" Kim asked.

"Yeah, just give me a second." Shego said and Kim nodded. "I'll take the rifle and ten boxes of target loads. Give  
me FMJ if you've got it."

"That I do." He said and ducked down behind the counter before popping back up with ten boxes which he set on  
the counter. He rang up the transaction. "That's two-oh-eight fifty for the ammunition."

She peeled off another two hundred dollars and handed him one of the twenties he had given her not a minute  
before. He handed her the change and then walked into the back room before walking back out back out a minute  
later with a rifle in his grasp and steps around the counter.

"Take good care of her." He said.

"What is her name?" Shego asked.

"Her name is Kimberly." He said. Shego lifted her eyebrow at this. "Please take good care of her."

"I will." She said and handed him more of the money she had withdrawn—eighteen hundred dollars in all—then  
turned to Kim who is eyeing the young man carefully. Shego slung the weapon across her back and picked up the  
ammunition before walking over to Kim who turned around and presented her back. She quickly loaded five boxes  
into Kim's pack, and four more into her own. She then took a knee and put the final box of rounds on the floor  
before unlimbering the rifle once more and opening its bolt.

"Hey..." He said.

"Don't bother." Kim said, having turned around when she heard the rifle's bolt rotate open. Shego opened the box  
of ammunition and loaded four rounds into the magazine before pushing the bullets down and sliding the bolt  
home and rotating it closed once more, leaving the chamber empty. She then engaged the safety on the rifle, loaded  
the ammunition box into her pack, shouldered her pack, and stood upright.

"Kimmie's right, you know." Shego said. "It doesn't work to try to stop me once I'm started. You see, I've got  
very little regard for the law for the most part. Kimmie's the only reason I'm as good as I am."

The young man stared at Shego, his eyes darting back-and-forth between her face and the rifle and Kim smiled.

"Don't worry, she's not crazy. My name's Kim Rockwaller." Kim said, using Bonnie's surname to maintain a  
sense of anonymity.

"Though people have tried for years to prove the contrary..." Shego said, sounding more than a bit bitter at  
aforementioned people.

"People called me crazy too, honey. They're wrong, though. Anyway, she's not crazy; she's just a bit on the  
overprotective side lately." Kim said.

"Yeah, and it was my over-protectiveness that saved your life. If I'd had listened to you, you'd be..." She trailed  
off as she felt her throat close up at the thought of Kim dying. Kim looked over at Shego and saw a shocked look  
on her face at her body's reaction to the thought.

"I know, and I owe you my life, but I'm fine and we're both safe." Kim said, defusing the situation with a  
precision to match her mother's surgical skills. "And that is what is really important. Thank you."

She smiled tenderly at Shego who smiled back at her.

"Anything for you, Kimmie..." Shego said. "Ready?"

Kim nodded.

"Then let's get a move on." Shego said. They walked out of the store and back up the road to the hotel where  
James is standing behind the counter.

"I take it you ladies will be departing?" He asked and Shego nodded.

"Yeah, we are." Kim said.

"Well, I for one am glad to see you're both well enough to get back into the field and hope that next time I see you  
ladies that it will be under better circumstances." He said while checking them out of their room. "Your total  
comes to seventy dollars."

"No tax?" Shego asked, confused, and he shakes his head.

"We have income tax here, not sales tax."

"Ah." Shego said, nodded, and then put down a one-hundred dollar bill. "Keep the change."

"Thank you." James said as he completed the transaction. They took their receipt and walked out of the hotel  
without another word.

"Where to now?" Kim asked.

"Wherever we want..." Shego said. "Our little shelter should still be good to go since we've only been gone for a  
day..."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Kim said. "Lead the way."

"You mean you don't know the way?" Shego asked, looking sidelong at Kim.

"I was so out-of-it that I couldn't tell up from down." Kim said.

"I know, and I'm glad that you're back with me." Shego said tenderly.

"Careful, Shego, people might think you've gone soft..." Kim said, smiling.

"For you? I have." Shego said and Kim's smile softened.

"Thank you." Kim said. She put her hand on Shego's shoulder and they stopped and turned to face one another.  
"Thank you, Shego." She said, then stepped closer and kissed her softly on the corner of her mouth.

"Come on, let's go." Shego said softly and wrapped her arm around Kim's waist before guiding her down the road  
once more.

HOURS LATER...

"So what are you planning on doing now?" Kim asked.

"I'm planning on staying by your side to make sure that you're all right. After that, I've got nothing planned."  
Shego said. "In other words, you're stuck with me, Kimmie."

"Oh, gee, break my heart." Kim said dryly and then smiled at Shego.

"How about I beat your ass instead?" Shego asked.

"What?"

"I owe you an ass beating." Shego said. "So are you gonna be a good girl and take it or are you gonna make me  
work for it?"

"When have I ever been a good girl?" Kim asked cheekily.

Shego grinned broadly at this answer. "Mmm... I like this turn of events..."

"Oh?" Kim asked.

"Yeah..." Shego said, and then grins broadly before launching herself at Kim who squealed with delight at the  
pursuit before scrambling to escape from her lover's grasping hands.

HOURS LATER...

Shego and Kim lay side-by-side, curled up in their sleeping bag and basking in the presence of the other.

"This is nice..." Shego said softly and Kim hummed her agreement. "Kimmie... I've got to ask... Why did you  
run?"

"Actually... it was a whole list of things... but the final straw was Mister Barkin."

"What? You're kidding... that tool? What did he do that would send you running?" Shego asked.

"Well, it was a lot of things that were stressing me out, and he was the last straw. I told him that I had been in  
Bangladesh catching a thief and had to catch a flight and HALO jump to get to the school, and had to negotiate the  
halls which were as treacherous as one of Doctor Dementor's more fiendish setups just to get there at the time I  
was there. He calmly told me he had a German attendance policy..." Kim said.

"If you're early you're on time, if you're on time then you're late?" Shego asked, interrupting for clarification.

"Yeah, anyway he said I had detention for it. I said that wasn't fair since I didn't know his policy and he hit me up  
for ANOTHER detention for not knowing his policy! That was just too much, so I went down to the front of the  
class and told him just how dangerous the people I deal with are and how he didn't hold a candle to most of them  
in threat value and he got the picture, canceling my detention. Anyway, I'd had enough already and told him that I  
wouldn't sit there while he prattled on about something I already knew, and told him to go to hell."

"Woah... I would have paid to have seen that..." Shego said, chuckling softly as she slid her arm across Kim's side  
and held her close. "That's one thing I love about you, Kimmie, when you firmly believe something, you're not  
afraid to speak your mind."

"But now I've got to go back..." Kim said. "How will I...?"

"How about you go back with me at your side?" Shego asked.

Kim lay there for a long moment, the thought of remaining with Shego and the thought of returning to Middleton  
having never found confluence.

"Kimmie?" Shego asked, feeling suddenly very nervous at her new lover's silence.

"I never thought about going back with you..." Kim said softly and Shego felt her blood run cold. "I imagined  
going back... but it was always by my lonesome..."

"Kimmie..." Shego breathes, her soul gripped in a vice of freezing-cold stone and her heart feeling as if it is about  
to burst. Her hand quaked violently with tremors of terror on its perch on Kim's hip.

"And I never imagined going back with you... because I never got past my being out here with you... if we could  
just stay like this forever... it would be perfect..." Kim said, finishing her thought and stilling Shego's hand.

"Thank you, Kimmie..." Shego said, simultaneously relaxing and holding the young redhead close, resting her  
head against her shoulder.

"Shego... are you crying?" Kim asked, concerned.

"Tears of happiness..." Shego said softly as the salty water left tracks across her skin. Kim turned over and looked  
at the villainess for a long moment before leaning in and kissing each of the tears tenderly.

ELSEWHERE...

"Have you heard anything?" Ann asked while holding James' hand tightly.

"No." Wade said. "The last word I got was from Edward Haskins' crew that they had delivered Shego. From there,  
I've got nothing."

"Where did she go?" Ann asked.

"According to them, she's a ways outside Pine Creek, Alaska." Wade said.

"Why would she go to Alaska?" Ann asked.

"It's not a high profile location, people tend to mind their own business, and it's the sort of place that you can live  
off the land with just some basic tools and survival skills." Wade said. "So it's perfect for someone with Kim's  
skills who's looking to disappear."

"Oh..." Ann said. "Wade... do you think that they're all right up there?"

"Honestly, Mrs. Possible, I wouldn't doubt it one bit. Kim's a fighter and Shego honestly seemed concerned about  
her so I'm sure they're fine." Wade said. "Though I've got to wonder how they're handling dealing with one  
another..."

IN ALASKA...

Kim and Shego lay in silence, their eyes closed as they succumbed to the need for sleep while they held one  
another close.

TWO WEEKS LATER...

"Shego?" Kim said softly as they sit side-by-side eating their MREs.

"Hmm?" Shego hummed around a bite of beef stroganoff.

"I was wondering... are you ready?" Kim asked.

Shego gulped down her bite and looked at Kim with a level expression.

"Are you sure you're ok with this, Kimmie?" Shego asked.

"Yeah..." Kim said. "I went off the reservation... now I've got to go back and explain myself..."

"And you're all right with me going back with you?" Shego asked.

"I'd have it no other way." Kim said.

"All right, then. I'll call up Nerdlinger and have him set up a flight for us." Shego said as she pulled out a satellite  
phone from her bag.

"No need." Kim said.

"What?" Shego asked, confused.

"When you were getting cash from the bank, I was talking to Benjamin. It turns out he's got an airplane that can  
get us to Middleton with one straight shot from the airport here to the municipal airport there." Kim said.

"How much do you think that will cost?" Shego asked.

"He quoted me five hundred dollars cash." Kim said. "That's cheaper than anything we can get commercially. I  
checked."

"Well, I guess that I'll just have to suffer through hitting up Nerdlinger for reimbursement once I get back to  
Middleton." Shego said with an air of mock-irritation that sent Kim into a fit of giggles with its over-dramatic flair.  
"So when can we catch that flight?"

"He said he likes to take off in the morning to have the most light to fly." Kim said. "So tomorrow morning is the  
soonest we can get back to civilization."

"You call it civilization?" Shego asked. "There's not that much that is civil about it, really."

"Good point." Kim said.

"Say... since we're gonna be going back tomorrow... what say you we spoil ourselves?" Shego asked.

"What do you have in mind?" Kim asked.

NINETY MINUTES LATER...

James looked up from his magazine and lifted his eyebrow as he watched two young women walk into the office,  
one sporting a hunting rifle slung across her shoulders.

"Well, well... you two are looking better than you were..." He said. "I take it you're going to be heading back to  
wherever it is you hail from?"

"What makes you say that?" Shego asked.

"I'm not sure, exactly." He said and she lifted her eyebrow. "It's just there's something about the two of you that  
tells me you're not going to be around here for much longer."

"You're right. Come the morning we're going to catch a flight home." Shego said. "So we were wondering if you  
had a room available..."

"I do... but there's one hitch..." He said, looking at the registry.

"What's that?" Shego asked.

He looked at the book for a moment longer before looking at her...

FIVE MINUTES LATER...

"The honeymoon suite..." Shego said dryly as she looked around the room.

"I don't know... it's kinda nice..." Kim said, walking into the room and looking around. "There's a comfy looking  
love seat, a big television, a plush bed, and a gorgeous bathroom... check this thing out... the tub is huge!"

"Kimmie, it's a tub built for two." Shego said as she walked up behind the petite redhead.

"Hmmm... Interesting..." Kim said, smiling as she glances back over her shoulder at the taller woman. "You  
know... the thing that I've missed most about civilization...? Indoor plumbing..."

"You and me both..." Shego said. "And I'm not gonna wait..."

"What?" Kim said and turned as Shego stepped around her while disrobing.

"Well, you can either wait for me to get done in here..." Shego said. "Or you can lose..."

Kim didn't even give her the chance to finish the statement before removing her jacket and pulling off her shirt,  
undershirt, and bra in one move.

"Wow..." Shego said, watching the move with wide eyes.

"Wow?" Kim asked, shooting Shego a sidelong glance.

"Yeah... that's the fastest I've ever seen someone disrobe without their destroying their clothes..." Shego said.

"And you've seen a lot of people disrobe?" Kim asked, lifting her eyebrow.

"Well..." Shego said, and then blushes softly. "Only in movies..."

"I knew there was a bit of good girl left in you..." Kim said, smiling at the emerald woman. "Now come on... we  
could both use a soak in the tub..."

She slipped off her boots and socks and then undid her belt and hooked her thumbs in her waistband before  
pushing her pants and panties to the floor. She glanced over and saw Shego had just finished disrobing as well.  
Shego looked over at Kim and a light blush covered her cheeks and the tops of her breasts.

"What?" Shego asked softly.

"Nothing..." Kim said, smiling at the older woman. She then turned on the water and pushed down the stopper to  
fill the tub. Shego gathered their clothes and took them into the main room. As she walked back into the bathroom,  
the scent of bath oils reached her nose and she glanced at the tub where Kim is mixing in a heavenly concoction of  
bath oils into the water. She glided up behind the cheerleader and hummed softly.

"Mmm... that smells good..." Shego purred.

"And soon so will you..." Kim said.

"What? Are you saying I stink?" Shego asked, her voice filled with mock-indignation.

"I'm saying we both stink." Kim said plainly. "It's been how long since we've had a proper bath?"

"Speaking of which..." Shego said, glancing over at a nearby glass-enclosed shower stall.

"What?" Kim asked.

"I don't want to soak for a few hours in me-stink soup." She said. "And I'm sure not gonna soak in you-stink soup  
either. Shower before the bath."

"Showering before bathing..." Kim said, sounding slightly surprised. "That seems kinda redundant..."

"The Japanese do it to keep the water cleaner." Shego said. "Besides, I want to wash up and don't want soap in the  
water."

"Oh... sounds like a plan..." Kim said.

"Besides, I'm gonna enjoy watching the water cascading down and sluicing across your skin..." Shego said.

"Wow... I never thought the word 'sluice' would sound so dirty..." Kim said.

"Sluice..." She said, putting as much lewd inflection into her voice as she could manage.

"Ok... now I definitely need a shower..." Kim said, shivering.

"Hmm... it seems I do as well..." Shego said, grinning at Kim.

"Do you ever think of anything besides sex?" Kim asked.

"Sometimes..." Shego said. "But when you're nearby looking as hot as you are... it's really hard not to..."

Kim walked over to the shower, pulling the door open and then glancing at Shego who's watching her with a coy  
look. She stepped into the glass room and, moments later, the verdant-skinned villainess joined her.

"Mmm..." Shego said, grinning. "Shower scene..."

NINETY-MINUTES LATER...

Kim and Shego are reclining side-by-side in the large tub, their heads lolled back as they rest in the hot water and  
oils.

"I'm glad they have a large boiler..." Kim said.

"You and me both," Shego said. "It feels great to take an eighty-minute shower like that..."

"You mean one interspersed with random groping, fondling, and minor molestation?" Kim asked, turning her eyes  
to look at the other woman.

"Tell me you didn't enjoy every moment of it..." Shego said, grinning.

"Well..." Kim said in a drawn-out fashion.

"Drama queen," Shego said dryly.

"Yes, but I am your drama queen." Kim said.

"You know it." Shego said and draped her arm around Kim's shoulders, holding her closer to her side. "You  
realize we're gonna have to get a tub like this one installed in our house."

"Our house?" Kim asked.

"Well, I don't really want to stay in a condo since I don't want the constant dues and I know you wouldn't handle  
being in a condo or apartment very well so I figured we'd just get a house with a sizable yard." Shego said.

"Shego, we haven't even discussed moving in together and here you are considering what sort of place we're going  
to move into." Kim said.

"Middleton sound nice?" Shego asked.

"Yeah, I still want to be near my family and friends and I don't want to have to learn the streets in Upperton or  
Lowerton." Kim said. "But that's not the point..."

"You mean the point that I'm considering our future carefully while you're considering your hand stroking up and  
down my stomach?" Shego asked.

Kim's hand stopped moving and she blushed softly. "I guess I just haven't taken the time to think that far ahead  
and it seems that you would be the more impulsive of the two of us."

"Kimmie, you ran off in the middle of the day and caught a flight to Alaska to hide in the wilderness because you  
couldn't take the stress." Shego said.

"Good point." Kim said, blushing harder.

"So I would say that you are the more impulsive of the two of us." Shego said. "And as such, I would be the more  
meticulous of the two of us."

"I guess that you're right..." Kim said. "Of course... you did go to work for Dr. Drakken so what does that say  
about your critical decision making ability?"

"That I'm smart enough to work for an idiot?" Shego said.

"That's smart?" Kim asked.

"If I worked for a smart genius, I'd have to work more and there would be a chance that he would succeed." Shego  
said. "And then where would I be?"

"You'd be the second most powerful person in the world?" Kim suggests.

"Second? Heh..." Shego said. "I may be his sidekick, but I'd own his balls."

"Own?" Kim asked.

"Own. I'd have them stuffed and mounted on my mantle." Shego said.

"Ouch." Kim said.

"Besides, once he had served my ends, I'd just depose him and take over." Shego said calmly. "You know me. I'm  
never one to play second banana to anyone for long."

"Would you be willing to play second banana to me, Shego?" Kim asked, looking at Shego coolly.

"You think that I'm gonna play second banana to you?" Shego asked.

"I didn't say that." Kim said.

"I know." Shego said, grinning. "And yes, Kimmie, I would."

"Thank you, Shego." Kim said.

"For you, Kimmie, I would do anything."

"Thank you, Shego." Kim said. "I'd never ask you to be second banana..."

"I know, Kimmie... you're too good a person..." Shego said. "But thank you for saying so."

She leaned over and kissed the redhead softly on the forehead.

"You're welcome, Shego." Kim said softly, kissing Shego on the shoulder.

ELSEWHERE, THIRTY MINUTES LATER...

"Are you sure?" Ann said, gazing at the television screen.

"Yes." Wade said. His face was visible on the screen. "I was able to pick up two heat signatures on a spy satellite  
and tracked them to a hotel. From there, I hacked their registry system, cross-referenced the company manifesto,  
and found that one employee—a night desk clerk named James Godwin—has the honeymoon suite checked out for  
one night and two adults. The thing is, however, he is scheduled to work tonight."

"So then you think he's harboring them?" Ann asked.

"Yes." Wade said. "I haven't had any sorts of hits on either of them but the circumstantial evidence is just too  
damning."

"Wade... can you get me in contact with that hotel?" Ann asked.

"Sure." Wade said and Ann walked over to the phone just as it rang. She picked it up and put it to her ear, listening  
to the ring tone. Wade struck a few keys on his keyboard and Ann watched as the screen divided into two screens:  
one showing his face and another showing a video feed of a lobby. A young man walked out from the back office  
and over to the phone, lifting it from the cradle.

"Lone Pine Inn and Suites, how can I help you?" He said.

"James?" Ann said.

"Speaking..." He said. "Can I help you?"

"James Godwin?" Ann said.

"Yes." He said, tapping his finger on the counter.

"Who is staying in the honeymoon suite, James?" Ann asked.

"Excuse me?" He said.

"I'm sure you heard me just fine." Ann said. "I asked you who is staying in the honeymoon suite. Is it a young  
woman with raven black hair and green skin and a young woman with red hair and bright green eyes?"

"Ma'am, I'm not able to say." He said.

"Wade, can you do something to jog his memory?" Ann said.

"Sure." Wade said. "James, turn on the television and tune it to channel sixty-six."

"There is no channel sixty-six up here." James said. "Now if this is some sort of prank, I will find out who you are  
and where you are."

"Turn on the television and change the channel to sixty-six now." Ann said.

She watches as James glowers and then flips off the phone.

"Excuse me?!" Ann demanded, making him jump. "I do not appreciate that sort of thing, young man!"

He stared at the phone for a long moment before waving his hand at it.

"There is no camera in the phone." Ann said and his eyes turned to the security camera. "But there is a security  
camera. Now change the channel on the television."

He turned on the TV and changed the channel, blinking as he saw Wade's face appear in one corner with Ann's  
face to the right of his as she stands with the phone clasped in hand.

"Hi. I'm Wade." Wade said conversationally. "Now, we're looking for these two young women..."

James blinked as he saw Kim's picture and Shego's picture appear on the screen side by side in the lower half.

"Why?" James asked.

"My daughter ran away." Ann said softly. "She just left... we didn't know where she could be so we called the only  
person we could think of who would know where she would hide... and now we haven't heard from either of them  
and I'm so worried..."

James stood there for a long moment, his face scrunched as he deliberated for almost a minute before sighing  
heavily.

"The laws be damned..." He said softly. "They're here and they're staying in the honeymoon suite. They've stayed  
here once before, two weeks ago. The redhead was suffering from a fever. Doc was able to fix her up, though.  
They went back out into the hills after getting more supplies. They say that they should be heading back to  
wherever they came from in the morning. That's all I know."

"Can you connect me to their room?" Ann asked.

"No... I'm sorry... but they requested privacy... as it stands, I could lose my job for this." He said.

"Can you at least deliver a message to them?" Ann asked.

"I can do that." He said.

"Tell them that we love them and we'll be waiting for both of them when they come home." Ann said.

"I'll deliver the message." James said.

"Thank you, James." Ann said.

"You're welcome. Good bye." He said, and hung up the phone. He took out a note pad and wrote something down  
before tearing out the page, folding it, and slipping it into an envelope. He looked at the envelope for a long  
moment before sighing heavily and walking out of the office. As he moved across the pavement between the office  
and the honeymoon suite, he glanced to his right as he hears a car drive past before sighing softly. He walked to  
the suites and climbs up the flight of stairs to the second floor and made his way down to the end where the  
honeymoon suite is situated before stopping at the room. He gazed at the maroon door for a long moment before  
lifting his hand and giving three solid raps.

"I'm so screwed..." He said quietly to himself.

He stood there for a long moment before sighing and turning away from the door, walking back to the stairs.

"What... is this ding-dong-dash?" Shego asked, leaning against the doorpost. James stopped in his tracks and  
slowly turned around, his eyes going wide as he saw her dressed in a fluffy white robe and nothing else. "If it is,  
you're supposed to run, not walk."

"What's up?" Kim asked, popping her head out the door. "Hey, James, what's going on?"

"I have a message for you." He said softly.

"A message...? Nobody knows we're here..." Kim said.

"They called me and said they knew you were staying here... then they had me turn on the TV and I saw them..."  
He said.

"Let me guess, a black kid and someone else who looks sorta like her?" Shego asked and James nodded.

"She said she was your mother..." James said.

"Yeah... mom had Wade track us down." Kim said.

"But how?" James asked, confused.

"Simple." Shego said. "They knew we were out in the boonies up here, so they just re-tasked a spy satellite with  
infrared capabilities to spy on us. They probably figured out we were staying here and then he hacked your system  
to get control of your guest registry and cross-referenced it with a roster of employees. He'd figure out you were  
slated to work today and that you had this room for two and so put two and two together. From there, it was just a  
simple hacking of the local broadcast network for your television and that's that."

James blinked, taken aback by this cascade of words.

"So what's the message?" Kim asked.

"Your mother wanted me to deliver the following message: We love you and we'll be waiting for both of you  
when you come home." He said, doing an almost impeccable imitation of Doctor Possible's voice for the message.  
The women stared at him wide-eyed.

"Wow." Shego finally said. "That's kinda creepy."

"Sorry." He said. "I sometimes work as a voice actor and it seemed most appropriate to use her voice to deliver the  
message."

"Oh... thank you, James." Kim said softly.

He inclined his head, turned, and walked off without another word. Kim and Shego walk back into the suite once  
more and shut the door.

"I'm surprised mom didn't crack sooner." Kim said.

"We were out in the wilderness." Shego said.

"She would have called in someone I worked with to track me down." Kim said. "Probably Ed Raskins..."

"He's actually the one who tracked you and brought me to you." Shego said.

"Oh." Kim said.

"Hey... wait a second... she said both of us..." Shego said, the words clicking in her mind. "That means..."

"She expects you're gonna be making my home your home, I suspect." Kim said.

"Do you have any complaints?"

"Only if you think you're gonna try and fit a queen size bed in my room." Kim said. "A double size mattress is just  
fine and is perfect for the area."

"I was actually thinking about downgrading to a single..." Shego said, grinning. "More incentive to cuddle..."

"As if I need incentive..." Kim said. "Now let's get back to that bath... it's getting kinda chilly out here..."

"So I could tell." Shego said lewdly.

"What? No you can't. Now get back into the tub and get that water hot before I get in there." Kim ordered. Shego  
looked at her with one upraised eyebrow and was met with a cocky grin.

"How about you get your ass into that water before I beat it?" Shego suggests. "And maybe if you're good I'll heat  
up the water when I get in."

"Sounds like a plan..." Kim said, grinning at Shego as she dropped her bathrobe and steps into the water.

HOURS LATER...

Kim and Shego lay side-by-side, submerged beneath the soothing waters as they stare up at the ceiling.

"You ready for bed, princess?" Shego asked softly.

"Mmhmm." Kim hums.

"Come on, then." Shego said, climbing out of the water and grabbing a towel. Kim stood as well and was surprised  
as Shego wrapped the towel around her.

"What?" Kim said, feeling a bit drowsy.

"Remember, Kimmie. I have a higher body temperature thanks to my glow." Shego said. "So you get the first  
towel."

"Thanks." Kim said, blushing. She leaned over to Shego and kissed her softly on the cheek.

"You're welcome." Shego said, blushing lightly. She then grabbed a second towel and wrapped it around herself  
before running a plasma-lit hand over her hair, drying it out in moments. She then turned to Kim and did the same,  
and was rewarded with a soft purr of satisfaction from the redhead.

"Oh... that's nice..." Kim said softly.

"It sure beats using a hair dryer." Shego quipped.

"Yes it does..." Kim said.

Shego doused her hand and smiled as she ran her fingers through Kim's long scarlet locks.

"Come on, Kimmie... let's get some sleep." Shego said, and they walk over to the bed, drop their respective towels,  
and climb under the covers. Shego switches off the bedside lamp as Kim scoots over and cuddles against her  
green-skinned lover and soon both women are sound asleep.

THE NEXT MORNING...

Kim opened her eyes and smiled as she saw Shego was already awake and looking at her through half-lidded eyes.

"Morning beautiful," Kim said.

"Morning," Shego said, leaning down, and kissing the younger woman softly. "Are you ready to go home?"

"Ready as I'll ever be..." Kim said.

The women climbed out of bed and dressed in silence before closing up their bags and grabbing their room keys.  
Shego glanced back at Kim who nods as she checked the door and they made their way to the office. As they  
walked inside, they saw Jade Newton standing behind the counter.

"Well good morning, you two." Jade said amiably. "Sleep well?"

"Yes, we did, thank you." Kim said while Shego nodded.

"Checking out?" She asked they nodded again, putting down their keys. "I hope you enjoyed your stay."

"We did." Shego said. "If we come back up here, we will be staying here again."

"Thank you." She said, smiling at them. They inclined their heads and then walk over to fix their breakfasts before  
sitting down at a table. As they sit in silence, they heard the door open and then Jade gasped. They turned and  
looked at Darkside who has walked in and is making his way to their table. As he came to their table, the two  
women swallowed their bites and Kim spoke first.

"I remember you." Kim said. "You saved my life... thank you."

"You are welcome." He said. "It is the least I could do for the one who has earned the love and admiration of my  
Sheila."

"Your name is Sheila?" Kim asked, lifting her eyebrow.

"Yes." Shego said, softly. "The only reason Darkside knows is because I had to trade my name for his. Isn't that  
right, Silas?"

"Indeed." He said dryly.

"What brings you out?" Shego asked.

"You do." He said. "As this will probably be the last time I see you, I wanted to wish the two of you the best  
fortunes in your travels."

"Thank you, Silas." Kim said. He looked at her and lifted his eyebrow.

"You are welcome, Kimberly." He said after a moment, then turned and walked out without another word.

"Is he always like this?" Kim asked.

"Yeah," Shego said dryly, "for as long as I've known him, he's always been like that."

"Seems like the life of the party." Kim said.

"He's more a person of action than of words, and prefers to keep his hand close to his vest." Shego said. "So he's  
more the wallflower who keeps an eye out for the police while everyone else parties."

THIRTY MINUTES LATER...

Kim and Shego walked out of the motel and down the street to the surplus store where they had purchased their  
supplies. As they walked up, they're met by Benjamin who's wearing a military flight suit.

"Are you flying a fighter?" Shego quipped and he rolled his eyes.

"Do you think that's original?" He asked. "Save the fighter jokes for when we get there."

"Ooh, someone's in a mood." Shego said.

"Shego, be nice." Kim scolded. "You don't want to fly commercial, do you?"

"Sorry Ben." Shego said quickly.

"It's Benjamin, and you're forgiven." He said.

Shego hiked her eyebrow and he sighed.

"My mother was hell when I was younger about people calling me 'Ben,' 'Benny,' and other things of the sort and  
would always say 'His name is Benjamin. If I wanted him called 'Benny' then I'd have named him that.'"  
Benjamin said. "And it stuck with me."

"Seems like it." Shego said. "So I've got to ask, why are we getting the cut rate flight?"

"What makes you think it's cut-rate?" He asked.

"You're charging us five hundred dollars to take us two thousand miles." She said. "If that's not cut rate..."

"I have business in Salt Lake City." He said levelly. "I've been avoiding it for some time, but with this  
opportunity, I've decided to step up and take care of things."

"Good for you." Shego said. "Now can we go? My parka's starting to ice up."

Benjamin chuckled and nodded his head before leading them the five blocks to the airfield where they see a  
Cessna 350 sitting on the tarmac.

"Oh... you've got to be kidding..." Shego said, staring at the aircraft. It was painted a dark grey with a vivid red  
and white 'Shark Mouth' painted just under the nose while a pair of evil looking eyes is perched just over the nose.  
"You painted the thing to look like a P-51?"

"No, my father did. He was a die-hard fan of the Mustang." He said. "Now come on, then. We haven't got all day."

He walked to the aircraft and opened a hatch on the right side for the two who quickly loaded their gear onboard  
and then climbed inside. He closed the hatch securely, then walked around the aircraft and climbed in another  
hatch. He flipped a few switches and they watch as he then took a fighter helmet and puts it on. He glanced back at  
them and they stared openly at him.

"Headsets are behind you." He said. "That's the only way I'll hear you or you'll hear me."

They nodded and put on their headsets while he pulled the oxygen mask over his face and pulled down the visor,  
completing the fighter look. He turned over the engine and toggled the radio.

"This is whiskey-charley-two-one-seven-one requesting permission to taxi to runway." Benjamin said.

"Roger that, whiskey-charley-two-one-seven-one, you are cleared to taxi to runway." The radio crackled. He  
moved the throttle forward and released the brakes and the aircraft started to roll on its way.

FIVE MINUTES LATER...

"Not too shabby." Shego said.

"Thank you." Benjamin said, looking out at the scenery beneath them. "My father trained me how to fly."

"Sounds like he was a great man," Shego said.

"He was, and he left one hell of a legacy." Benjamin said.

"So what's the deal with the fighter gear?" Shego asked and was rewarded with a light smack on the arm from  
Kim.

"It's all right." Benjamin said. "A few years back, I was working in the shop when I spotted a fighter helmet and  
oxygen mask that was still in working condition. I told my dad that I wanted it and he said I wouldn't have use for  
it. It was gone within two days and I was crushed. A few weeks later, he started training me how to fly and when I  
performed my first start-to-finish flight to his standards, he gave it to me and told me that I should always wear it  
since it will bring me luck. Lucky Seven is the last owner's call sign."

"And so now you always wear it?" Shego asked and he nodded. "I guess we all have our idiosyncrasies."

"Like you being involved with your archrival?" He asked and the women tense. "I did a little looking around  
online and came across a picture of you with her. Shego and Kim Possible together... quite the pairing..."

"What do you plan on doing with this information?" Shego asked.

"Well, I intend to send you a congratulatory flower arrangement when you announce it to the world." He said.  
"Other than that, I've got no plans."

"That's good, because I didn't want to have to come back up north and do something that would violate several  
federal laws." Shego said dryly.

"Shego, be nice..." Kim scolded gently.

HOURS LATER...

"Middleton airport, this is whiskey-charley-two-one-seven-one requesting permission to land." Benjamin said.

"Whiskey-charley-two-one-seven-one, you are cleared to land." The controller said.

"Roger that, control, beginning final descent." Benjamin said and began his approach.

FIVE MINUTES LATER...

Kim and Shego climbed out of the aircraft before grabbing their packs and Kimberly and walking a few feet off to  
the side where Benjamin meets them.

"Well, Benny, it's been fun." Shego said.

"Shego..." Kim said, rolling her eyes and laughing at her lover's impishness.

"You know, if you were anyone else, I'd correct you again." Benjamin said. "But seeing that not even your lovely  
friend can get you to change your ways, I can see you're just too dyed in the wool."

"Oh, you'd be surprised how much I've changed already." Shego said. "A couple months ago, I'd have stolen your  
airplane and left you to freeze on the tundra."

"Yeah, that's about right." Kim said. "It seems like I'm a good influence on you after all."

"Don't let it go to your head." Shego said, mock-seriously.

"Ok... I'm gonna go refuel before I'm sick..." Benjamin said. "It's been a pleasure dealing with you ladies and I  
wish you all the best. If you're ever up in my neck of the woods, feel free to drop in and buy more gear."

"Will do," Shego said. "C'mon, Kimmie, it'll be a hike getting back to your place."

"Or we could just call my parents for a lift..." Kim said.

"Right..." Shego said. "I don't really feel comfortable calling your parents for a ride..."

"All right," Kim said. "Then let's adjust our packs a little bit first."

"Adjust them how?" Shego asked.

"I'm gonna give you more of the ammunition and food since I'm gonna be carrying Kimberly." Kim said.

"Why? I've carried her just fine so far..." Shego said.

"Yes, but now we're in an area where you're a known criminal. It wouldn't do for you to be seen carrying a rifle."  
Kim said.

"Good point." Shego said.

FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER...

"So how much further do you think it is?" Shego asked.

"I'd say a couple more miles at most." Kim said. "I told you we should have called mom for a lift."

"Nice rifle." A man said and the two women look over at him. He's dressed in a Middleton PD uniform. "Is it  
yours?"

"Yeah," Kim said. "Why do you ask?"

"How old are you?" He asked.

"Does it matter?" Kim asked.

"Yes, it does." He said. "I want to know how old you are."

"I'm eighteen." Kim said, and Shego glanced over at her with an uplifted eyebrow.

"Can I see your ID?"

Kim reached into her back pocket and pulled out a wallet. Moments later, she handed the officer an ID card and he  
glanced at it before nodding and giving it back to her.

"How does she handle?" He asked.

"Like an extension of my body." Kim said. "Now if you'll excuse us, we're going to go about our business."

They turned and walked down the road. Once out of earshot of the officer, Shego glanced at Kim.

"Eighteen?" Shego asked.

"I had Wade make me a few IDs in case I had something like that happen." Kim said. "I get sick and tired of  
people looking down on me because I'm young."

"I bet." Shego said.

THIRTY MINUTES LATER...

Kim and Shego walked up to the front door of the Possible home and stared at the wooden construct for a moment  
before Kim reached out and knocks. They stood for a moment in silence and then the door opened and Doctor Ann  
Possible stared at the duo for a moment before hugging her daughter tightly. Shego smiled softly as mother and  
daughter are reunited, and then she turned to look out at the street.

"Shego?" Ann said and Shego looked over. "Thank you for bringing my little girl home..."

"You're welcome, Doctor Possible." Shego said, feeling oddly meek.

"Call me Ann," Ann said. "And give me a hug."

Shego looked at her and lifted her eyebrow while Ann walked over and embraced her warmly. Shego stood there  
for a moment before returning the hug with a bit of hesitation. When she released Shego, she stepped back and  
looked at the two young women.

"Come inside, please." She said. "I'm dying to hear what all happened."

"Me too?" Shego asked and Ann nodded. They walked inside and she led them into the living room before  
standing up and hustling into the kitchen.

"Wow..." Kim said. "I've never seen her so worked up before..."

"I think she's just happy to have you back." Shego said. "I know I'd be."

Kim chuckles softly at this.

"Coffee? Tea? Water? Juice?" Ann calls from the kitchen.

"Green tea?" Shego asked and Kim nodded. "Green tea, please." Shego called. Two minutes later Ann walked  
back in with a tea set and set it down on the table. She then poured three cups of tea and took a sip.

"So you want to know the whole story?" Shego asked and Ann nodded. "Well, it goes something like this..."

FIVE MINUTES LATER...

"Babe?" Kim asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Yes." Shego said. "That's what I called her."

"Why?"

"Well, she was fairly attractive and I figured I might renew my membership to the mile-high club so I didn't want  
to make any lasting attachments, and that includes learning her name." Shego said. "So I called her 'Babe.'"

"Ok..." Kim said.

"For the record, your name is burned into my memory." Shego said.

"Thank you." Kim said, smiling at this sweet gesture.

"So anyway..." Shego said. "After she whipped up the drink, I set up ground rules for address and she asked if I  
wanted anything else. I jokingly said a neck massage and was surprised when she started to give me one. It turns  
out she is a licensed masseuse. I asked her if there was a bed onboard and she told me it was further back so I went  
back and stripped down before requesting a full body Swedish..."

Kim looked at Shego with a nonplused expression.

"Really." Kim said.

"Yes. She told me she couldn't do that with the uniform she had on so I told her to lose it and she did. The only  
thing that surprised me more than her stripping, was her lingerie... It was like something from Victoria's Secret. I  
got onto the bed and she started the massage, then leaned down and kissed me on the nape of my neck..." Shego  
said.

"I don't know if I want to hear any more..." Kim said, interrupting.

"I told her to get off the bed." Shego said. "I shouted at her... 'Get off the fucking bed and get dressed. NOW!' I  
said. 'If you touch me again, I swear to God I'll fucking kill you, do you understand me?' I demanded. She  
stuttered out a 'Yes, miss Shego' but I didn't think she got my point so I made it crystal clear. 'No, I don't think  
you get what I'm saying...' I said, 'if you touch me again, I will fucking kill you with my bare fucking hands.' I  
even flared my plasma for good measure."

"You don't sound too proud of yourself." Ann said softly.

"I was angry and felt violated but in retrospect I overreacted." Shego said.

"Did you explain why you reacted the way you did?"

"After she sucked down a couple Long Islands, yeah," Shego said. "She made it through two more before I passed  
out."

"Why did you do that?" Ann asked.

"She drank them. I didn't do it to her." Shego said.

"No. Why did you get pass-out drunk?"

"I don't know..." Shego said. "I mean they snuck up on me. One moment I was drinking, the next I'm covered up  
with a blanket."

"A blanket?"

"Vanadour Avakian—the plane's bartender—covered us both up." Shego explained as if it were the most normal  
thing to say. "Anyway..."

SIXTY MINUTES LATER...

"I still don't understand why you didn't call for a ride." Ann said.

"I didn't want to impose." Shego said. "It just felt weird."

"Well, from now on don't feel like you're imposing." Ann said.

"Thanks, Ann."

"So where are you going to go from here, Shego?" Ann asked.

"Well, I'm going to be getting out of the game." Shego said. "I won't fight against Kimmie anymore and I won't  
serve Drakken even one more day."

"So what will you do?" Ann asked.

"Well, I was considering going into the security consulting business." She said. "I mean what better business is  
there for a former criminal?"

"Very true," Ann said. "I'm glad that you've chosen a new profession which can use your skills."

"It's also good because I can be home in time to make dinner and also I'll be able to help out Kimmie if she needs  
a hand." Shego said.

"It sounds like you're going to have a very interesting life." Ann said.

"Yes, but it will be far better than the one I left behind." Shego said. "After all, I'll be with Kimmie."

"Oh?" Ann said, lifting her eyebrow.

"Do you think that I would take the time to go to your daughter when she's up in that freezing cold hell if I didn't  
care about her?" Shego asked. "I was out tanning on a beach sucking down a margarita and enjoying the sound of  
the surf when I got the call."

"Good point." Ann said.

"Besides, I spent so much time with her that it would have had one of two subsequent results. Either I'd want to  
kill her or marry her."

"I'm glad you don't want to kill her." Ann said. "It's still a bit of a shock that the two of you are involved."

"What is the most shocking part?" Shego asked. "That I'm a lesbian, that your daughter is a lesbian, or that we're  
involved."

"That you're involved, really." Ann said. "I have had my suspicions about the two of you but for some reason I  
never thought you two would end up being together."

"But here we are." Shego said.

"Indeed, here you are." Ann said. "And I could not picture a cuter couple."

"Thank you, Ann, I really appreciate it. And I've got to agree, your daughter is just darling." Shego said, grinning  
at Kim who blushed under the scrutiny and praise. "And that blush is just so adorable..."

"Ok, Shego, you can stop torturing poor Kimmie now..."

"Oh, but I was just getting warmed up..." Shego said, grinning impishly.

"Later..." Ann said. "So how are you two going to work it?"

"Well, if Kimmie's gonna get out of the business then so will I." Shego said. "After all, she's the reason I stayed in  
for as long as I did."

"You're kidding, right?" Kim asked. "You're saying you would have given up if I had quit?"

"Oh, hell no... I'm saying I'd have beat down your door if you'd quit to ask you out on a date." Shego said.

"Oh." Kim said, blushing.

"And now that I've got you, I'm not going to do anything to jeopardize it." Shego said. "So I'm gonna turn State's  
Witness against Drakken and earn my freedom."

"And how will you manage that?" Kim asked.

"Global Justice is more corrupt than you think." Shego said. "They fight the worst and deal with the worst and they  
offered me a deal a while back that if I rolled on Doctor Dee and Motor Ed that they'd wipe out my record. I told  
them put it on hold since you were still in the game and Lizzy said the offer would sit on the table."

"Lizzy?" Kim asked.

"Doctor Elizabeth 'Betty' Director... She hates being called Lizzy..."

"Which is why you call her that," Kim said.

"Exactly," Shego said, grinning.

"It figures." Kim said dryly.

"Did you expect anything less of me?" Shego asked.

"Not really, no." Kim said calmly. "So are you going to call her?"

"Impatient much?" Shego said, chuckling. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed a number. After a few minutes,  
she smiled as she heard a click.

"Who are you and how did you get my private line?" A voice said on the other end of the line.

"Hey there, Lizzy..." Shego said.

"Shego, you know I hate when you call me that." Betty said.

"I know." Shego said, chuckling. "I trust that deal you offered me is still on the table?"

"Which?"

"I turn State's Witness on Drakken and walk away from my life of crime and you drop all charges against me."  
Shego said.

"And what would motivate you to want to do this now?" Betty asked.

"I've got another life I want to build." Shego said, "One with my Kimmie."

"Hi Betty!" Kim called and Shego chuckled at her impishness.

"I wouldn't have believed that had I not heard her in the background." Betty said. "The offer is still valid and  
current."

"Consider it done."

"You have the question of infamy to deal with, though." Betty said. "That is said that could preclude you from  
acting as witness."

"You would be amazed how much of my infamy is manufactured." Shego said. "Besides, the evidence I took from  
there while I was employed to store at a hidden location is damning enough to put him away for ten lifetimes. And  
the best part is, I was relocating it under his orders so he cannot say I stole it. I just failed to tell him about where I  
put it and took the time to remove the tracking devices citing that I didn't want them being found."

"Very nice," Kim said, grinning.

"And you can produce this evidence?" Betty asked.

"Yes, I can." Shego said.

"Give me the address and I'll give you your pardon." Betty said.

"It's at the Middleton U-Store, rooms two-sixteen, two-seventeen, and two-eighteen." Shego said.

"You're kidding... you stored it in town?" Betty asked, surprised.

"Where is better to hide something from Doctor Dee than right under his nose?" Shego asked.

"The man is an idiot and a genius so that does make sense." Betty said. "Give me forty-eight hours and I'll push  
through your pardon. Until then, I'd suggest you lay low."

"I've got no objections." Shego said. "In fact, I've got an idea of where I can go to hide under the radar..."

"Just so long as you don't violate any laws and don't get into trouble, I couldn't care less where you went..." Betty  
said.

"Good." Shego said. "But before we head out..."

"We?" Betty asked.

"We: Me and Kimmie." Shego said. "You think I'm gonna leave her behind? You've got another thing coming."

"I was just curious, thank you." Betty said sharply.

"Anyway, before we head out, I think that Kimmie and I need to have a little sit-down with a few people..." Shego  
said, glancing over at Kim who's watching her carefully.

"And just who are you thinking about?" Kim asked.

HOURS LATER...

"Whoa! Whoa! What in the world? What is she doing here?" Ron demanded as he stared at Shego.

"Ron, calm down." Kim said.

"Girl, I hope you've got a good story to go with this." Monique said.

"I've got to agree with Ron and Monique, Kim." Wade says through his Wade-Bot. "It is a bit strange to see Shego  
sitting there."

"There's something I want to tell you..." Kim said and then took a deep breath.

"Let me guess," Ron said, interrupting Kim. "You're a lesbian in love with Shego."

Kim deflated and blinked with surprise.

"Wow, you're more intuitive than I had you pegged for." Shego said. "What gave us away?"

"Well, I figured it had to be something like that to make her change so much." Ron said. "Besides, you are sitting  
there next to her. She doesn't let people she doesn't trust sit next to her."

"Oh." Shego said.

"All right, girlfriend: dish the details." Monique said.

"Well, it goes something like this..." Kim said.

THIRTY MINUTES LATER...

"Damn." Wade said, breaking the trio's tableau of silence.

"When I said details... I didn't mean THAT detailed..." Monique said.

"You asked for it." Shego said, chuckling at their reactions.

"So you're really giving it up?" Ron asked.

"Yes." Kim and Shego answered in unison.

"Then who's gonna save the world?" Ron asked.

"Well, you can work with the tweebs or Joss until they're ready to solo it." Kim said. "I have faith in you. Besides,  
you've got the mystical monkey powers!"

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Ron said.

"And Wade?"

"I'll take good care of them." Wade said.

"Please and thank you." Kim said.

"Same for me," Ron said. "I'll teach them everything I know."

"You can skip the lesson on losing your pants." Monique gibes.

"There are no lessons on that. That is all the Ron-man." Ron said proudly.

"And you're proud of this why?" Monique asked and the others laughed at this.

TWO HOURS LATER...

"Thanks again for coming." Kim said, hugging her tow-headed friend.

"No big." He said. "Thanks for inviting us... we won't let you down."

"I'm sure you won't." Kim said.

"Ready, Kimmie?" Shego said.

"Yeah," Kim said. "Let's go... Benjamin should be ready to go."

THIRTY MINUTES LATER...

Shego and Kim walked out onto the tarmac and smiled as they saw a young man dressed in a full flight uniform  
and wearing a fighter helmet standing next to a Cessna 350 painted with the markings of a P-51 Mustang.

"Hey there, Benny," Shego said glibly and Kim rolled her eyes as he looked at Shego impassively.

"Sorry about her, Benjamin. You know how she is."

He nodded his head. "Ready?" He asked.

"Yeah," Kim said. "You?"

"She's refueled and ready to go." Benjamin said.

"Excellent." Shego said as they loaded their bags into the cargo hatch before climbing into the aircraft.

HOURS LATER...

"Welcome back to Alaska." Benjamin said as his Cessna touched down. "I hope you don't mind, I talked to Jade  
down at the Lone Pine and made you reservations since you hadn't made any and I wanted to make sure you two  
had a good place to stay. I heard where you were staying before and that didn't sound right to me."

"Thank you, Benjamin." Kim said. "You really didn't need to do that for us."

"It's no problem." He said and maneuvered off the taxiway to a nearby hangar where he parked and killed the  
engine. "When you're ready to head back, just give me a day's notice and I'll run you back down south."

"Will do, Benny."Shego said and he rolled his eyes. They climbed out of the aircraft and gathered their gear before  
they made the quarter-mile to the Lone Pine Inn and Suites where they had reservations. As they walked in, they  
stopped and watched as James gave Amy a soft kiss in the back room. "Hey, Kimmie, do you think we should  
come back later?" Shego asked deliberately loud. Amy walked out front and smiled as she saw the couple. James  
walked out a moment later with a similar expression.

"Welcome back to Alaska." James said. "I'm glad to see you made it all right. Benjamin already set up your  
reservations."

Amy put a set of room keys on the desk and Shego took them before handing one to Kim.

"I'm sure you remember when everything is." James said and they nodded. "Good. You're staying in room S-3."

"Wait... isn't that the Honeymoon Suite?" Shego asked and he nodded. "Good... I loved that tub..."

"I'm glad the room was to your satisfaction." James said. "Kim, Shego, Amy and I were wondering if you would  
like to join us for dinner tomorrow at Mom's Café..."

"Sounds like a plan." Shego said. "What time?"

"Six PM?" Amy asked and the girls nodded. "Excellent... and thank you..."

"For what?" Shego asked.

"Mom said you two had a hand in her giving her permission for James to marry me..." Amy said. "She said that  
you were the reason she said yes and I wanted to thank you for casting your vote with him..."

"Who are we to stand in the way of true love?" Kim asked.

"Gag, princess." Shego said dryly.

"Shego! It's a beautiful thing!" Kim exclaimed.

"Still gag." Shego said. "C'mon, Kimmie... I hear the tub calling us..."

The girls walk out of the office bickering quietly back and forth.

THE NEXT DAY...

Kim sat at small desk in her room with a laptop computer on the surface, looking at the screen.

"Well," She said to herself. "I guess I should send Joss a video and tell her what's going on..."

She opened a video recording program and turned on the built-in webcam before looking at the lens and opening  
her mouth...

TEN MINUTES LATER...

Kim stopped the recording and smiled as she clicked on the file and watched it start to finish. It was a little sappy  
at parts, but it captured what she wanted to say and told Joss everything she felt she needed to know. She closed  
the laptop and left it on the bed before walking into the other room where Shego was sitting watching TV.

"I just made a video for Joss so she's got a head's up." Kim said.

"Oh, really?" Shego asked. "I may have to watch it and see just how sappy you got..." She said with a smile.

"Only a little." Kim said defensively. "What time is it?"

"Five." Shego said.

"Oh... ok..." Kim said, and then walked into the bathroom. Shego sat there for a half-second then a smile split her  
face. She stood and quickly walked to the computer before opening it and logging on. She waited a second then  
opened the video software.

"Let's see what you recorded, Kimmie..." Shego said while opening the video that Kim had made to send to her  
cousin Jocelyn.

"Joss, if you're getting this video, then that means I'm out of the game. I'm not hurt, I'm just done. I've had a good  
run at this, but it's time for me to step down and for you to take my place. I don't know if any of my old enemies  
will be running around, but I'm sure that a few ones have cropped up to replace them if they've been arrested or  
given it up. Wade's still gonna be going strong for a few more years as a intelligence operator so I'm sure you'll be  
fine for that end. And the tweebs will do well as support for you in the field so you're covered there as well. All in  
all, you've got a good support base to work from and a good job to work from." Kim said, and then sighed. "I  
know it's a lot for you to take on but I'm sure that you're able to handle without too much fuss."

She rolled her eyes and stopped the video, not wanting to go further.

"Well, that just won't do." She said, and then starts making a video of her own. "Wow. That was a sappy message.  
Hey there, Joss. Kimmie's out of the game, like she said, and I am as well. Now it's up to you to take care of  
Doctor Dee and the others and keep them out of trouble. Good luck... of course, you won't need it. After all, you  
are a Possible and anything is possible for a Possible. Don't worry about going it alone, you have help. Nerdlinger  
will be in for a few more years before he's out of the game, and the tweebs are a force to be reckoned with so  
you're fine. That said; good luck and goodbye." She said.

"Shego, what are you doing?" Kim asked as she stands in the doorway looking at Shego who is sitting at a  
computer.

"Why, Kimmie, whatever do you mean?" Shego asked innocently.

"I just heard you talking and you're sitting in front of a computer. Are you making a movie?"

"Just a short one for Joss..." Shego said.

"Huh." Kim said. "So are you done?"

"Yeah," Shego said.

"Good..." Kim said, walking into the frame behind Shego and draping herself over the raven-haired woman's  
shoulders. "Because we've got a double date with James and his fiancée and I for one don't want to be late. Now  
come on, beautiful, we've got to go."

She turned her head and kissed Shego on the cheek before standing up and walking off. Shego smiled and winked  
at the webcam that was still recording and then pressed the stop button.

"Now for a little cut and paste..." Shego said to herself as she opened a video editing program.

FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER...

Shego smiled as she finished the video and then sent it to Jocelyn's email address.

ELSEWHERE, FOUR HOURS LATER...

Joss Possible logged onto her 3G cell phone and checked her email.

"A video from Kim... Huh..." She said and opened the video...

"Joss, if you're getting this video, then that means I'm out of the game. I'm not hurt, I'm just done. I've had a—  
FZZZ..." the video dissolved into snow for a moment, then a green hued woman's face appeared.

"Wow. That was a sappy message. Hey there, Joss. Kimmie's out of the game, like she said, and I am as well. Now  
it's up to you to take care of Doctor Dee and the others and keep them out of trouble. Good luck... of course, you  
won't need it. After all, you are a Possible and anything is possible for a Possible. Don't worry about going it  
alone, you've got help. Nerdlinger will be in for a few more years before he's out of the game, and the tweebs are a  
force to be reckoned with so you're fine. That said; good luck and goodbye." She said.

"Shego, what are you doing?" Kim asked from off-screen.

"Why, Kimmie, whatever do you mean?" Shego asked innocently.

"I just heard you talking and you're sitting in front of a computer. Are you making a movie?"

"Just a short one for Joss..." Shego said.

"Huh." Kim said. "So are you done?"

"Yeah," Shego said.

"Good..." Kim said, walking into the frame behind Shego and draping herself over the raven-haired woman's  
shoulders. "Because we've got a double date with James and his fiancée and I for one don't want to be late. Now  
come on, beautiful, we've got to go."

She turned her head and kissed Shego on the cheek before standing up and walking off. Shego smiled and winked  
at the webcam before stopping the recording.

"Damn." Jocelyn Possible said as she stared at the screen. "That's a trip."

THE END

Thanks for reading! Huge thanks (once again) to my great and powerful beta Anime Apothecary for all his  
dedicated work! It's greatly appreciated! It's also greatly appreciated when I can read reviews so please do! ^_^

TK


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